X-ray based 3D histology provides new anatomical and clinical insights into the human cribriform plate region

Detailed knowledge of the cribriform plate (CP) microanatomy, a fragile nasal-cranial interface, is important for studying olfaction, preventing iatrogenic injury, and managing cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) leaks. However, its composite architecture and neurovascular contents are incompletely resolved by clinical imaging and classical 2D histology. Here, we used cryogenic contrast-enhanced microCT (cryo-CECT), a nondestructive X-ray-based 3D histology approach, to image two cadaveric CP-region specimens. Cryo-CECT enabled micrometer-scale visualization of bone, vessels, nerves, and olfactory structures, including reconstruction of the CP, partitioned olfactory foramina, and the ethmoidal slit and cribroethmoidal foramen. We reconstructed a subset of olfactory fila from the lamina propria across the CP toward the olfactory bulbs and delineated the anterior ethmoidal artery and nerve, including vascular branches traversing olfactory foramina. Finally, color-coded thickness maps revealed regional heterogeneity in these specimens, suggesting that micrometer-scale mapping may refine assumptions about structurally vulnerable areas and support larger-scale anatomical and surgical-risk studies.