On the lateral surface of the skull, slightly below and deeper than the infratemporal fossa, lies the pterygopalatine fossa (fossa pterygopalatina). It contains the pterygopalatine ganglion.
It has four walls:
The anterior wall is formed by the maxillary tuberosity (tuber maxillae)
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The roof is formed by the maxillary surface of the greater wing of sphenoidal bone (facies maxillaris alae majoris ossis sphenoidalis)
Sphenoid bone (os sphenoidale) 
Maxillary surface (facies maxillaris) 
The posterior wall is formed by the pterygoid process of sphenoidal bone (processus pterygoideus ossis sphenoidalis)
Pterygoid process (processus pterygoideus) 
The medial wall is formed by the perpendicular plate of the palatine bone (lamina perpendicularis ossis palatini)
On the lateral side, the pterygopalatine fossa is connected to the infratemporal fossa by the pterygomaxillary fissure (fissura pterygomaxillaris).
There are also several other openings within the fossa, through which it is connected to adjacent cavities:
| Title | Connection |
|---|---|
| Inferior orbital fissure (fissura orbitalis inferior) |
Orbit |
| Sphenopalatine foramen (foramen sphenopalatinum) |
Nasal cavity |
| Foramen rotundum | Middle cranial fossa |
| Pterygoid canal (canalis pterygoideus) |
Cranial base |
| Greater palatine canal (canalis palatinus major) |
Oral cavity |
Pterygopalatine fossa
- pterygopalatine fossa
- fossa pterygopalatina
- maxillary tuberosity
- tuber maxillae
- maxillary surface of greater wing of sphenoidal bone
- facies maxillaris alae majoris ossis sphenoidalis
- pterygoid process of sphenoidal bone
- processus pterygoideus ossis sphenoidalis
- perpendicular plate of palatine bone
- lamina perpendicularis ossis palatini
- pterygomaxillary fissure
- fissura pterygomaxillaris
- inferior orbital fissure
- fissura orbitalis inferior
- sphenopalatine foramen
- foramen sphenopalatinum
- foramen rotundum
- foramen rotundum
- pterygoid canal
- canalis pterygoideus
- greater palatine canal
- canalis palatinus major
