title: An unusual muscular variation of the infratemporal fossa.
abstract: The infratemporal fossa is often the site of pathology or surgical intervention. We describe an unusual muscle found during the routine dissection of the right infratemporal fossa. The literature germane to this variable muscle, best described as a variant of the pterygoideus proprius, is reviewed. The clinician may contemplate the wide array of muscular anomalies within the infratemporal fossa when considering unexplained neurological symptoms attributed to branches of V3 and pursue appropriate diagnostic testing.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cell Biology, Section of Pediatric Neurosurgery, University of Alabama at Birmingham, USA. rstubbs@uab.edu
authors.forename: R S
authors.initials: RS
authors.lastname: Tubbs
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Stetler
authors.forename: M M
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Shoja
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Loukas
authors.forename: E G
authors.initials: EG
authors.lastname: Salter
authors.forename: W J
authors.initials: WJ
authors.lastname: Oakes
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D006801:Humans; D008036:Lingual Nerve / Q000033:anatomy & histology; D008297:Male; D008340:Mandibular Nerve / Q000033:anatomy & histology; D011626:Pterygoid Muscles / Q000002:abnormalities* / Q000294:innervation