Dorsolateral

Dorsolateral is an anatomical directional term used to describe a location that is both toward the back (dorsal) and toward the side (lateral) of a structure or body. It is relative to the standard anatomical position, where dorsal denotes toward the posterior surface and lateral denotes away from the midline. The term can apply to bones, muscles, nerves, brain regions, and other organs in humans and other vertebrates.

Etymology and usage: dorsum means back in Latin, and latus means side, combining to indicate a region that lies on the back-sides of a structure. In practice, writers and clinicians use dorsolateral to specify a location that is not purely posterior or purely lateral, but a combination of both directions. It is often contrasted with related terms such as ventrolateral (toward the front and side) or dorsomedial (toward the back and midline).

Examples of use: In neuroanatomy, the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex refers to a region of the frontal lobe involved in higher-order cognitive functions such as planning and working memory. In the spinal cord and brainstem, clinicians may describe lesions or nerves as being on the dorsolateral aspect of the structure. In dermatology and veterinary anatomy, the term can describe the dorsolateral surfaces of limbs or the torso.

See also: dorsal, lateral, ventrolateral, dorsomedial, anatomical position.