Meninges, venous drainage of the brain and CSF Flashcards
What mater dips into the crevices of the brain?
Only pia
what are cerebral arteries embedded in?
Pia mater
What mater acts as a sealed bag for CSF?
Arachnoid mater
What are arachnoid trabeculae?
Extentions of arachnoid mater to the pia mater which help to keep the brain suspended in place.
What mater are the branches of the middle meningeal artery carried in and supply?
Dura
What are cisterns?
Spaces filled with CSF
Where is the interpeduncular cistern found?
In between the 2 cerebral peduncles of the midbrain
Where is the cisterna pontis found?
Just caudal to the buldge of the pons
Where is the superior cistern found?
- Dorsal to midbrain and superior and inferior colliculi
Where is the cisterna magna (cerebellomedullaris) found?
- Posterior to cerebellum and in posterior fossa of the brain
What is the clinical significance of the cisterna magna?
One of the places where CSF can be taken from if spinal cord cannot be reached - can cause subarachnoid haemorrhage
Where do berry aneurysms occur?
- Arterial circle of Willis which lies in subarachnoid space
- Frequent site is where posterior communicating artery arises from the Internal carotid artery
What are the ‘tooth-like’ connective tissues of pia mater which attach to the dura mater called?
Denticulate ligaments
At what level does a lumbar puncture usually take place?
- Below L2
- Usually L4/5
Where do the veins of the brain lie?
Subarachnoid space
What do the veins of the brain drain into?
Cranial venous sinuses
How are venous sinuses arranged?
Along the borders of folds of dura (falx cerebri,
What is the tentorium cerebelli?
Compartmentalises the brain into cerebrum (occipital lobes) and cerebellum (tent like structure of dura)
What is the sinus called that follow the falx cerebri?
The superior sagittal sinus
Where does the transverse sinus lie?
On the border of the tentorium cerebelli
What are the main sinuses which drain into the confluence of sinuses?
- Superior sagittal sinus
- Transverse sinus
- Straight sinus
What veins drain into the straight sinus?
- Inferior sagittal sinus
- Great cerebral vein of galen
What is the tentorial notch?
- Anterior opening between the free edge of the cerebellar tentorium and the clivus for the passage of the brainstem
- Midbrain continues with the thalamus of the diencephalon through the tentorial notch
What is a trans-tentorial herniation?
- Increase in intracranial pressure can cause part of brain (temporal lobe) to be pulled down into tentorial notch
