Meninges, venous drainage and CSF Flashcards
What are the meninges
- Dura mater (outer)
- Arachnoid mater
- Pia mater
Describe the dura mater
- Thick, tough and durable
- Tough fibrosis bridges that bridge gaps, attached to the skull
- branches of middle meningeal artery
What are cisterns?
- Spaces filled with CSF
* covered with arachnoid mater
Name the cisterns and their location
- Superior cistern - dorsal to the midbrain
- Interpeduncular cistern - between 2 cerebral peduncles of the midbrain
- cisterna pontis - anterior of pons/medulla
- Cisternal magna, inferior of the cerebellum, posterior to the medulla
Where is the circle of willis and what is a common pathology of it?
- Lies in the subarachnoid space
- A berry aneurysm is a cause of subarachnoid haemorrhage
- Frequent site is where the posterior communicating artery arises form the internal carotid artery
Denticulate ligament
Pia
At what level is a lumbar puncture taken?
Below the level of L2 - usually at L4/5
Where do the veins of the Brain emerge?
In the subarachnoid space
Where do the veins of the brain drain?
Cranial venous sinuses
Where is the falx cerebri?
Deep into the longitudinal fissure
What drains the cavernous sinus?
The superior petrosal sinus
Significance of the tentorial notch
If intracranial pressure is raised, parts of the brain can be pushed out
Where is a subdural haemorrhage?
Between the arachnoid and the dura
What is CSF produced by?
Specialised ependymal cells of the choroid plexus
How does CSF flow out of the ventricles?
Via apertures in the 4th ventricle via apertures
• 1 median (magendie)
• 2 lateral (lushka)
