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Topic

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Lateral orbital gyrus

The lateral orbital gyrus is a prominent convolution located on the inferior surface of the frontal lobe, forming a key part of the orbital gyri complex. It is found lateral to the medial and anterior orbital gyri and is demarcated by the lateral orbital sulcus. The lateral orbital gyrus plays an important role in higher-order cognitive functions, emotional processing, and social behavior, as part of the orbitofrontal cortex. Understanding its anatomy and imaging features is essential for accurate neuroimaging interpretation and clinical correlation.

Synonyms

  • Lateral orbital convolution

  • Gyrus orbitalis lateralis

  • Part of the lateral orbital cortex

Arterial Supply

  • Primarily supplied by branches of the anterior cerebral artery (ACA), especially the orbitofrontal branch

  • Secondary supply from the middle cerebral artery (MCA), particularly via small orbital branches

Venous Drainage

  • Venous blood is drained by the superior orbital veins

  • Ultimately empties into the superior sagittal sinus and the cavernous sinus via the superficial middle cerebral vein

Function

  • Involved in decision-making, reward evaluation, and emotional regulation

  • Plays a role in social cognition, impulse control, and adaptive learning

  • Dysfunction implicated in psychiatric disorders (e.g., OCD, depression)

MRI Appearance

  • T1-weighted images:

    • Appears as gray matter with intermediate signal intensity, well-delineated from surrounding white matter

  • T2-weighted images:

    • Shows relatively higher signal intensity compared to white matter; normal differentiation of cortical layers

  • FLAIR images:

    • Gray matter shows intermediate signal; FLAIR is useful for detecting pathology (e.g., edema, gliosis) affecting the orbital gyri

    • Lateral orbital gyrus is best visualized in coronal and axial planes, adjacent to the orbital surface of the frontal lobe

CT Appearance

  • On non-contrast CT, the lateral orbital gyrus appears as part of the cortex overlying the orbital surface of the frontal lobe

  • Appears isodense relative to other cortical gray matter

  • Subtle sulcal pattern may be seen in high-resolution scans; not well differentiated unless pathology is present (e.g., infarct, mass effect)

MRI images

lateral orbital gyrus MRI 3T axial image

MRI images

lateral orbital gyrus MRI 3T sagittal image

CT image

Lateral orbital gyrus CT sag anatomy image -img-00001-00001