Coverings of the brain and spinal cord
1. Big picture
The brain and spinal cord are covered by three meninges: dura mater, arachnoid mater, and pia mater. For the exam, do not learn them only as anatomy. Learn them as clinical spaces:
Skull / vertebral canal → dura → arachnoid → pia → CNS tissue
The most important exam correlations are:
-
Epidural hematoma: between skull and dura, usually middle meningeal artery.
-
Subdural hematoma: between dura and arachnoid, usually bridging veins.
-
Subarachnoid hemorrhage / meningitis: pathology in the CSF-containing subarachnoid space.
-
Papilledema: raised intracranial pressure is transmitted through the optic nerve sheath, because the optic nerve is surrounded by meninges and CSF.
-
Meningeal signs: neck stiffness, Kernig sign, Brudzinski sign; they indicate irritation of meninges/nerve roots.
Unlock the rest of this topic
Subscribe to Neurology for $10/month and unlock all 231 topics — full exam-structured notes, the State Exam questions integrated into every topic, and the downloadable Anki deck. Cancel anytime.
- ✓All 231 Neurology topics, exam-structured
- ✓State Exam questions in every topic
- ✓Downloadable Anki deck (.apkg)
- ✓Cancel anytime
Already subscribed? Sign in