A 3D stereotactic atlas of the adult human skull base

BACKGROUND: The skull base region is anatomically complex and poses surgical challenges. Although many textbooks describe this region illustrated well with drawings, scans and photographs, a complete, 3D, electronic, interactive, realistic, fully segmented and labeled, and stereotactic atlas of the skull base has not yet been built. Our goal is to create a 3D electronic atlas of the adult human skull base along with interactive tools for structure manipulation, exploration, and quantification. METHODS: Multiple in vivo 3/7 T MRI and high-resolution CT scans of the same normal, male head specimen have been acquired. From the scans, by employing dedicated tools and modeling techniques, 3D digital virtual models of the skull, brain, cranial nerves, intra- and extracranial vasculature have earlier been constructed. Integrating these models and developing a browser with dedicated interaction, the skull base atlas has been built. RESULTS: This is the first, to our best knowledge, truly 3D atlas of the adult human skull base that has been created, which includes a fully parcellated and labeled brain, skull, cranial nerves, and intra- and extracranial vasculature. CONCLUSION: This atlas is a useful aid in understanding and teaching spatial relationships of the skull base anatomy, a helpful tool to generate teaching materials, and a component of any skull base surgical simulator.