Like in Midbrain and Pons: Corticospinal tract passes ventrally Ventricular system is located dorsally in midline Cranial nerve nuclei are located just anterior to the ventricle Medial longitudinal fasciculus is present around the center Another important thing to remember is that, the caudal medulla resembles “spinal cord“: Circular in shape…
Author: Dr. Sulabh Kumar Shrestha, MS Orthopedics

How to Draw Pons Cross-section ?
Pons in latin, refers to a “bridge”. Pons varolli is a part of brain-stem, that links thalamus with medulla oblongata. The cross-section of pons is similar to the midbrain as described earlier but few things must be kept in mind: The orientation of lemnisci in midbrain is more or less…

How to Draw Midbrain Cross-section ?
The cross-section of midbrain can be compared to the “upside down striped face of a red-eyed demon“. Using this analogy of a demon face, lets assign the structures found on the cross-section of midbrain: Ear = Crus cerebri Medial – frontopontine fibers Middle – corticonuclear and corticospinal tract Lateral –…

CSF Circulation Made Simple
Cerebrospinal Fluid (CSF) Production and Absorption CSF is produced by the choroid plexus that lines the ventricles. Choroid plexus = Infoldings of blood vessels of piamater + Modified ciliated ependymal cells Tight junctions of the choroid plexus cells form Blood-CSF barrier. CSF is reabsorbed by arachnoid granulations to enter dural…

Answering Techniques for Surgery Papers
How to answer definitions ? Definitions are often asked in the exams – both in theory exams and viva-voce. As the content is vast, mugging them up is not a good idea. If you have a good understanding over the topic, you can write down a good definition by including…

Thalamic Connections Mnemonic
Structure of Thalamus A vertical “Y” shaped white mater – internal medullary lamina divides thalamus into: In anatomical position: Pulvinar = Posterior end or posterior pole of thalamus Thalamic Connections Picture mnemonic Remember the schematic diagram drawn below showing important parts of thalamus in an anticlockwise fashion: Now, we assign…

Heme Synthesis and Defects Simplified
Structure of Heme Heme is a ferro-proto-porphyrin. Heme = Protoporphyrin IX ring + Iron (Fe) in center Protoporphyrin IX = porphyrin with attachment to 4 Methyl, 2 Propionyl and 2 Vinyl groups. Porphyrin = Cyclic structure with 4 pyrrole rings Pyrrole rings are derived from Porphobilinogen (PBG) Hydroxymethylbilane = Linear…

Medical Humanities in Nepal
The practice of medicine is an art, not a trade; a calling, not a business; a calling in which your heart will be exercised equally with your head. – Mark E Silverman Shapiro et.al. defined medical humanities with characteristic features: Use of methods, concepts, and content from one or more…