MENINGES

By/Dr.Abdisamad omar ali

 Meninges
 The Meninges are the membrane covering the
brain and spinal cord
 The Meninges consist of three membranes :

1. The dura mater

2. The arachnoid mater
3. The pia mater
 Function

 These coverings have two major

functions :
 Provide a supportive
framework for the cerebral and
cranial vasculature.
 Acting with cerebrospinal fluid
to protect the CNS from
mechanical damage
 Dura mater
 It is the outermost of the three
layers of the meninges
surrounding the brain and
spinal cord
 It is derived from mesoderm
 The name dura mater is
derived
 from Latin "tough mother",
thick mother of the brain
 Dura mater
 It surrounds and supports the dural
sinuses
 Dura mater has two layers :
 Superficial layer - which serves as the
skull's inner periosteum (periosteal
layer)
 Deep layer - (meningeal layer)

 The dura mater receives its own

vasculature; primarily from the middle
meningeal artery and vein
 It is innervated by the trigeminal
nerve (V1, V2 and V3)
 Dura mater Modifications

 Falx cerebri

 Falx cerebelli

 Tentorium cerebelli

 Diaphragma sellae
 Dura mater (Falx cerebri)
 Sickle shaped double layer of dura
mater, lying between cerebral
hemispheres
 Attached anteriorly to crista galli
 Attached posteriorly to tentorium
cerebelli
 Has a free inferior concave border
that contains inferior sagittal
sinus
 Upper convex margin encloses
superior sagittal sinus
 Dura mater (Falx cerebelli)

 Small sickle shaped

projection between the
cerebellar hemispheres

 Attached to posterior
parts of tentorium
cerebelli
 Tentorium cerebelli

 Crescentic fold of dura mater

 Supports occipital lobes of
cerebrum and covers
cerebellum
 External convex border
encloses transverse sinus
posteriorly and superior
petrosal sinus anteriorly
 Diaphragma sellae

 Circular, horizontal fold of

dura mater that forms the
roof of sella turcica,
covering the pituitary
gland
 Has a central aperture for

the hypophysial stalk

 Extradural and Subdural Haematomas

 A haematoma is a collection of blood

 The cranial cavity is effectively a closed box, a
haematoma can cause a rapid increase in intra-cranial
pressure
 Extradural (epidural) – Arterial blood collects between
the two layers of the dura, due to tearing of the middle
meningeal artery as a consequence of brain trauma
 Subdural – Venous blood collects between the dura and
the arachnoid mater, it results from damage to cerebral
veins as they empty into the dural venous sinuses
Extradural haematomas
 Arachnoid mater
 The arachnoid mater is the middle
layer of the meninges, lying directly
underneath the dura mater.
 It consists of layers of connective
tissue
 Connected by delicate connective
tissue with both the dura and pia
mater
 It is continued downward over the
spinal cord
 CSF flows in the sub arachnoid space
 Subarachnoid space

 Space between arachnoid

and pia mater
 Occupied by spongy tissue
consisting of trabeculae
(delicate connective tissue
filaments that extend from
the arachnoid mater and
blend into the pia mater)
Arachnoid trabeculae
Arachnoid mater
 Pia mater
 The pia mater is located
underneath the sub-arachnoid
space.
 It is very thin, and tightly adhered
to the surface of the brain and
spinal cord
 It is the only covering to follow
the contours of the brain
 It is highly vascularised, with
blood vessels perforating through
the membrane to supply the
Meninges
 Meningitis

 Meningitis : refers
to inflammation of the meninge
 It is usually caused by
pathogens (bacteria or virus)