Abstract:
The topographic anatomy of the cranial nerves plays a decisive role in neurosurgical practice,
particularly in diagnosis, selection of surgical approaches, and ensuring intraoperative safety. This
analytical review examines the anatomical trajectories of all 12 pairs of cranial nerves, their
topographic relationships with adjacent structures, and the major risk zones encountered during
clinical and surgical procedures. Although modern radiologic visualization techniques have
significantly improved the accuracy of anatomical assessment, surgical errors related to topographic
variations still occur in 12–17% of operations. The analysis is based on clinical studies, meta
analyses, and statistical reports published over the last decade.
