Ambient cistern
Cisterna ambiens
- Synonym: Cisterna ambiens
- Related terms: Cisterna ambiens
Definition
The ambient cistern, also known as the cisterna ambiens, is positioned on the side of the midbrain at the level of the tentorium. It extends both above and below the tentorium.
The ambient cistern is split into two parts by the superior cerebellar membrane:
The upper part accommodates the posterior cerebral artery, medial and lateral posterior choroidal arteries, perforating branches to the brain stem, and the basal vein of Rosenthal.
The lower part contains the superior cerebellar artery and the trochlear nerve.
Relationships:
Laterally: mesial surface of the temporal lobe (uncus posterior part, parahypocampus, dentate gyrus, and fornix fimbria)
Medially: lateral surface of the mesencephalon (from the lateral end of the quadrigeminal plate)
Anteriorly: crural cistern
Posteriorly: quadrigeminal cistern
References
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Text written by Muhammad A. Javaid, MD, PhD © 2023 IMAIOS.
Rai, S., Srivastava, S., Kamath, M., Murlimanju, B.V., Parmar, G. and Chebrolu, G. Delineation of Subarachnoid Cisterns Using CT Cisternography, CT Brain Positive and Negative Contrast, and a Three Dimensional MRI Sequence: A Pictorial Review. Cureus. 2022 Apr 1;14(4):e23741.
Villanueva P, Baldoncini M, Forlizzi V, Campero A, Rangel CC, Granja JO, Sufianov A, Lucifero AG, Luzzi S. Microneurosurgical anatomy of the basal cisterns: A brief review for cisternostomy. Surg Neurol Int. 2023 Mar 24;14:97. doi: 10.25259/SNI_1095_2022. PMID: 37025519; PMCID: PMC10070334.
