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Paraterminal gyrus

The paraterminal gyrus is a narrow, thin strip of gray matter located on the medial surface of the cerebral hemisphere, adjacent to the lamina terminalis and lying just below the rostrum of the corpus callosum. It forms part of the limbic lobe and is involved in the regulation of autonomic, emotional, and visceral functions. Although small and less often discussed compared to other limbic structures, the paraterminal gyrus is an important anatomical landmark in neuroimaging and neurosurgery, closely associated with the subcallosal area.

SYNONYMS

  • Subcallosal gyrus

  • Paraterminal lobule

  • Paraterminal area

  • Gyrus paraterminalis

ARTERIAL SUPPLY

  • Primarily supplied by small perforating branches from the anterior cerebral artery (ACA), especially the branches of the pericallosal artery

  • Occasional contribution from the anterior communicating artery

VENOUS DRAINAGE

  • Drains mainly into the internal cerebral veins

  • Additional drainage may occur via the basal vein of Rosenthal

FUNCTION

  • Part of the limbic system, involved in emotion regulation

  • Plays a role in autonomic and visceral responses

  • May contribute to mood, motivation, and behavioral control through limbic connections

MRI APPEARANCE

  • T1-weighted MRI:
    Appears as a thin, isointense to slightly hypointense gray matter structure adjacent to the lamina terminalis, under the rostrum of the corpus callosum

  • T2-weighted MRI:
    Slightly hyperintense relative to white matter, but overall follows typical gray matter signal characteristics

  • FLAIR MRI:
    Similar to T2-weighted appearance, remains relatively hyperintense to white matter, helping in delineation from adjacent white matter structures

CT APPEARANCE

  • Not individually visualized on routine non-contrast CT due to small size and low contrast with adjacent structures

  • Appears as a subtle thin strip of cortical density medial to the frontal lobe, under the rostrum of the corpus callosum, best seen on high-resolution scans or with advanced post-processing techniques

MRI images

Paraterminal gyrus MRI 3T axial image

MRI images

Paraterminal gyrus MRI 3T sagittal image

CT image

Paraterminal gyrus CT sag anatomy image -img-00001-00001