Anatomy - Cranial Cavity Flashcards
What can happen if there is a skull fracture at the pterion?
Fracture at the pterion may rupture the MIDDLE MENINGEAL ARTERY
- depressed fracture may compress the underlying brain
What can happen if there is a fracture of the petrous portion of the temporal bone?
May cause:
- blood or cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) to escape from the ear
- hearing loss
- facial nerve damage
What can happen if there is a fracturre of the anterior cranial fossa?
May cause:
- anosmia
- periorbital bruising (raccoon eyes)
- CSF leakage from the nose (rhinorrhea)
What can happen if you have a blow to the top of the head?
May fracture the skull base w/ related:
- cranial nerve injury
- CSF leakage from the dura
- arachnoid tear
- dural sinus thrombosis
What happens if you have a Tripod fracture?
Facial fracture involving the 3 supports of the malar (cheek or zygomatic) bone, including the:
- zygomatic processes of the temporal bone
- frontal bone
- maxillary bone
What causes a Pial Hemorrhage?
What causes a Cerebral Hemorrhage? What is a major effect?
Pial hemorrhage is due to damage to the small vessels of the pia and brain tissue.
Cerebral Hemorrhage is caused by rupture of the thin-walled lenticulostriate artery –> a branch of the middlge cerebral artery. This produces HEMIPLEGIA (paralysis of one side of the body)
What causes a Subarachnoid hemorrhage?
Due to rupture of cerebral arteries & veins that cross the subarachnoid space.
- May be caused by rupture of an aneurysm on the circle of Willis or
- Less commonly caused by a hemangioma
- proliferation of blood vessels leads to a mass that resembles a neoplasm
What causes an Epidural Hematoma?
Due to a rupture of the middle meningeal arteries/veins.
Caused by:
- trauma near pterion
- fracture of the greater wing of the sphenoid
- torn dural venous sinus
Note:
- May put pressure on the brain & form a biconvex (football) pattern on a CT or MRI
