Recesses

2x lateral recesses
2x Dorsal lateral recess
1x DOrsal median recess

Boundaries

Anterior (Floor) - Diamond shaped - upper part is posterior surface of pons, lower part is posterior surface of medulla. midline is median sulcus, either side from top to bottom is the medial eminence, then the facial colliculus, then below this is the hypoglossal trigone, then the vagal trigone. Lateral to the facial colliculus is the superior fovea and lateral to this is the vestibular area
Posterior (roof) - Superior Medullary velum, inferior medullary velum
Lateral - Superior cerebellar peduncle, Inferior cerebellar peduncle, tubercle of gracilis and tubercle of cuneatus

Foramen

Lateral aperatures (foramen Luschka) x2 - exit into the SA space in the cerebellopontine cistern (at the CP angle)
Median aperature (foramen Magendie) - connects 4th ventricle with SA space (into the cisterna magna - (or cerebellomedullaris cistern) beneath the cerebellum)

Specific structures

- Superior fovea - small depression at the superior end of the sulcus limitans

- Inferior fovea - small depression at the inferior end of the sulcus limitans

- Stria medullaris

- Locus cereleus - bluish coloured area which is part of reticular activating system involved in stress and panic response - site of Noradrenaline production in brain

- Facial colliculus - a prominence caused by the protrusion of facial nerve fibres as they circle around the abducens nerve nucleus in the pons.

- obex is the point where the fourth ventricle narrows to become the spinal canal

Próximo

Anterior

Third Ventricle