Subtemporal view of ambient cistern. For orientation, the right side of the image is anterior. Within the ambient cistern courses the posterior cerebral artery (which has been sectioned) and the internal cerebral veins. On the inferior surface of the thalamus are the medial and lateral geniculate nuclei.  The MGN receives input from the inferior colliculus of the dorsal mesencephalon as part of the auditory processing network.  The LGN receives input from the optic tract, as part of the CNS visual pathway. The superior cerebellar artery supplies the dorsal pons, midbrain and inferior colliculus via perforating branches. (Image courtesy of AL Rhoton, Jr.)