Brain CisternsDr. Yaser Abdulghani AlQasimi, MBBS

Radiology Demonstrator, KAU

Brain Meninges

• 3 layer system of membranes which envelops the central nervous system.

• Layers are:– Dura mater– Arachnoid mater– Pia mater

Cisterns

• Cisterns are openings in the subarachnoid space of the brain created by a separation of the arachnoid and pia mater. These spaces are filled with CSF.

Brain CisternsThere are many cisterns in the brain, but the notable ones include:• Cisterna magna (cerebellomedullary).• Cisterna pontis (pontine cistern).• Interpeduncular cistern.• Quadrigeminal cistern (superior cistern).• Ambient cistern.• Cistern of the velum interpositum.• Suprasellar/Chiasmatic cistern.• Cistern of lamina terminalis.• Supracallosal cistern.• Sylvian cistern.

Brain Cisterns

Brain Cisterns

Brain Cisterns

• Lies behind the medulla and below the cerebellar hemispheres.

• Continuos with 4th ventricle through median aperture of Magendie.

• Its lateral part contains the vertebral artery and its posterior inferior cerebellar branch.

Cisterna Magna

Cisterna Magna

Cisterna Magna

Cisterna Magna

Pontine Cistern

• Lies between the pons and the clivus.• Receives CSF from lateral apertures of 4th

ventricle (Luschka).• Continuous above with the interpeduncular

cistern.• It contains the basilar artery and its pontine

and labyrinthine branches.

Pontine cistern

Pontine Cisterns

Pontine Cistern

Interpeduncular Cistern

• Lies between the cerebral peduncles.• Continuous below with the pontine cistern,

laterally with the ambient cisterns, and superiorly with the suprasellar cistern.

• It contains the posterior part of the arterial circle of Willis.

Interpeduncular Cistern

Interpeduncular Cistern

Interpeduncular Cistern

Quadrigeminal Cistern

• lies posterior to qudrigeminal plate of the midbrain and between the splenium above and the vermis below.

• It is continuous with the interpeduncular cistern anteriorly through the ambient cisterns.

• Contains the great cerebral vein of Galen.

Quadrigeminal Cistern

Quadrigeminal Cistern

Quadrigeminal Cistern

Ambient Cistern

• sheet like cistern that extend around both sides of midbrain between the interpeduncular cistern anteriorly and the qudrigeminal cistern posteriorly.

• the posterior cerebral artery and the basal vein lie in the anterior part of each ambient cistern.

Ambient Cistern

Ambient Cistern

Ambient Cistern

Suprasellar / Chiasmatic Cisterns

• Suprasellar cistern lies above the pituitary fossa and is continuous posteriorly with the interpeduncular cistern and laterally with the sylvian cistern.

• It contains the anterior part of the circle of Willis and the optic nerve as it passes to the chiasm.

• Chiasmatic cistern is the part of suprasellar cistern that is anterior to the optic nerve.

Suprasellar / Chiasmatic Cisterns

Suprasellar / Chiasmatic Cisterns

Sylvian Cistern• This is the area of sylvian fissure.

Sylvian Cistern

Sylvian Cistern

Cistern of lamina terminalis / Pericallosal Cistern

• The cistern of lamina terminalis is the superior extension of suprasellar and chiasmatic cisterns that extend to the superior surface of corpus callosum as the pericallosal (supracallosal) cistern.

• Pericallosal cistern is continuous posteriorly with the quadrigeminal cistern.

• It contains branches of the anterior cerebral artery.

Cistern of lamina terminalis / Pericallosal Cistern

Cistern of lamina terminalis / Pericallosal Cistern

Cistern of lamina terminalis / Pericallosal Cistern

Cistern of lamina terminalis / Pericallosal Cistern

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