cranial cavity, meninges, & dural venous sinus Flashcards
(56 cards)
three membranes surrounding brain and spinal cord
- dura mater: thick, tough, fibrous external layer
- arachnoid: intermediate layer
- pia mater: delicate internal layer
function of meninges
- protect the brain
- framework for blood supply
- enclose the subarachnoid space and contain CSF
layers of dura mater
- endosteal layer: periosteum on inner surface of skull, continuous with periosteum on outside of all major foramina of skull
- meningeal layer: dense, strong, fibrous layer covering brain, continuous with dura mater at spinal cord, four dural unfolding, separate the regions of the brain
- *layers cannot be separated
falx cerebri
- largest dural infolding
- lies in longitudinal cerebral fissure that separates right and left cerebral hemispheres
- ends by becoming continuous with tentorium cerebelli
falx cerebelli
- partially separates cerebellar hemispheres
- small fold lying inferior to tentorium cerebelli
- attached to inferior surface of the tentorium and internal occipital crest
tentorium cerebelli
crescent shape fold which separates the occipital lobes from the cerebellum
diaphragma sellae
- small circular fold of dura mater that forms roof of sella turcica (covering pituitary gland)
- small opening in center allows passage of infidibular stalk of hypophysis (pituitary)
innervation of meninges by–
trigeminal and vagus with a little bit of upper cervical spinal nerves (C2 and C3)
anterior cranial fossa innervated by
V1
middle cranial fossa innervated by
V2 and V3
posterior cranial fossa innervated by
- C2 & C3, supplying dura in proximity to foramen magnum
- meningeal branches of vagus and hypoglossal nerves
diploic veins
located within the diploe of the cranial bones
emissary veins
- route of communication between intracranial veins and extracranial veins (no valves)
- allow for escape of blood from the cranium
- many opening transmit these veins
- examples: mastoid foramen connecting posterior auricular vein to sigmoid sinus; parietal foramen–occipital vein to superior sagittal sinus
veins of the cranium
- extracranial
- emissary
- diploic
- cerebral
dural venous sinuses
- venous channels found within the cranial dura mater (between the periosteal and meningeal layers, at the margin of dural folds)
- receive cerebral and meningeal veins and CSF
- drain into internal jugular veins
superior sagittal sinus (superior longitudinal sinus)
- unpaired area along the attached margin of falx cerebri
- allows blood to drain from lateral aspects of anterior cerebral hemispheres to confluence of sinuses
- cerebrospinal fluid drains thru arachnoid granulations into superior sag sinus and returned to venous circulation
- drains into transverse sinus
transverse sinus
- starts at internal occipital protuberance
- follows tentorium cerebelli to drain to sigmoid sinus
sigmoid sinus
- continuation with the transverse sinus (s shape)
- drains to internal jugular vein
inferior sagittal sinus
located in unattached margin of the falx cerebri and drains to the straight sinus
straight sinus**
- located at the junction of falx cerebri with tentorium cerebelli
- formed by inferior sagittal sinus and Great Vein of Galen and ends in Confluence of Sinuses
occipital sinus
- located in falx cerebelli
- run around the foramen magnum and ends in confluence of sinus
cavernous sinus
- circular sinus surrounded the hypothysis (in both sides)
- Inferior petrosal sinus–connects it to internal jugular vein
- Superior petrosal sinus–connects it to the Sigmoid sinus
Nerves located within the cavernous sinus
oculomotor (III) trochlear (IV) opthalmic (V1) maxillary (V2) abducens (VI) internal carotid plexus of nerves (sympathetic nerves)
the cavernous sinus makes a _____ between both inside the skull (other venous sinuses) and outside the skull (facial veins)
central venous connection