CSF AND VENTRICULAR SYSTEM

U Offor
 VENTRICULAR SYSTEM
• Comprises of:

– two lateral ventricles

– third ventricle

– cerebral aqueduct

– the fourth ventricle

 Lateral ventricles
• C-shaped cavity

• Consists of:

– anterior horn

– body

– posterior horn

– inferior horn
 Anterior horn

Roof and lateral wall are

formed by the corpus
callosum,

Medial wall by the septum

pellucidum.

The floor is formed by the

head of the caudate nucleus.
 BODY
• Roof: corpus callosum;

• Medial wall: by the

posterior part of the
septum pellucidum

• Floor and inferolateral

wall: by parts of the
caudate nucleus,
thalamus, choroid plexus
and fornix.
Posterior horn
• Roof & lateral wall formed
by fibers corpus callosum.

• Medial wall formed

superiorly by forceps
major of corpus callosum
& inferiorly by calcrine
sulcus.
 • Inferior horn has:
• Roof : formed by fibers of tapetum of corpus callosum &
tail of caudate nucleus .
• Floor: medially by hippocampus.
Choroid plexus
Third Ventricle
 Third Ventricle
• Anterior wall:
– lamina terminalis
– anterior commissure

• Roof:
The roof is formed by the tela choroidea
• Floor:
– optic chiasma
– tuber cinereum median eminence
– infundibulum
– mamillary bodies
– posterior perforated substance
– tegmentum of the cerebral peduncles

• Two side walls:

– Thalamus Interthalamic adhesion (60% of brains)
– Hypothalamus Supraoptic nucleus – ADH
Paraventricular nucleus – Vasopressin/Oxytocin
– Subthalamus Subthalamic nucleus
Tela choroidea

Tela choroidea (double fold of pia)

Cerebral Aqueduct
Fourth ventricle:

• Its floor (Rhomboid Fossa)

formed by posterior
surface of pons & upper
medulla.

• Its roof formed by

superior medullary velum
& inferior medullary
velum.
 CSF CIRCULATION:
Produced in ventricles*, and flows
caudally through ventricular system

– Two lateral ventricles

• Interventricular foramen
– One third ventricle
• Cerebral aqueduct
– One fourth ventricle
• Two foramina of Luschka
• One foramen of Magendie

* CSF produced by choroid plexus in the

ventricular cavities
 CSF
Absorption(Drainage)
 FLOW OF CSF
CSF
Hydrostatic
(from choroid plexus) pressure

Interventricular Foramina

3rd Ventricle
(located in diechephalon)

Through cerebral aqueduct

4th Ventricle
(located in hindbrain)
Foramen of Luschka, and
Magendie
Subarachnoid Space

Flows down the length of

Cerebromedullary cistern Dura & Arachnoid Meninges
spinal cord in the
subarachnoid space

Drained into venous sinuses

Circulate over the cerebral (through arachnoid
hemisphere granulation in superior sagittal
sinus)
 Clinical Relevance:
Hydrocephalus
 Communicating (Non-obstructive)
Hydrocephalus

 Non-communicating (Obstructive)
Hydrocephalus

 Hydrocephalus ex vacuo