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
- Have central canal instead of 4th ventricle
- Have nucleus gracilis and nucleus cuneatus dorsally
- Site where pyramids and medial lemnisci decussate
How to draw medulla cross-section ?
- Draw a pair of circles
- Represents inferior cerebellar peduncle
- Draw another pair of circles anteriorly
- Represents inferior olivary nucleus
- Draw a triangle in the center between 2 posterior circles
- Represents 4th ventricle
- Draw a pair of triangles anterior to the 2 anterior circles
- Represents pyramids
- Draw a boomerang just anterior to the triangle representing 4th ventricle
- Represents periventricular gray
- Draw another boomerang anterior to the previous boomerang
- Represents cranial nerve nucleii (from medial to lateral)
- CN XII
- Dorsal vagal nucleus
- Nucleus tractus solitarius
- Medial vestibular nucleus
- Posterior cochlear nucleus
- Represents cranial nerve nucleii (from medial to lateral)
- Draw a pair of rectangles in the center
- Represents medial lemniscus (anteriorly) and Medial Longitudinal Fasciculus (MLF) posteriorly
- Draw a pentagon with apex tilted medially, just anterior to the posterior pair of circles – the 5 points of the pentagon represents 5 structures (starting from apex in clockwise fashion)
- Nucleus ambiguus
- Trigeminal nerve nucleus and spinal tract
- Anterior cochlear nucleus
- Anterior spinocerebellar tract
- Lateral spinocerebellar tract
- Lateral spinothalamic tract inside the pentagon
Now, look how a real cross-section would look like:


He is the section editor of Orthopedics in Epomedicine. He searches for and share simpler ways to make complicated medical topics simple. He also loves writing poetry, listening and playing music.