Cranial epidural space
Spatium epidurale craniale
- Latin synonym: Spatium extradurale
- Synonym: Extradural space
- Related terms: Epidural space; Extradural space; Epidural space
Definition
The space between the dura mater of the brain and the skull bone is called the cranial epidural space. This space is also present around the spinal cord, known as the spinal epidural space, and is important site for administering epidural anesthesia.
Inside the cranial epidural space, there are meningeal arteries. If the middle meningeal artery in the temple region ruptures, it can cause high-pressure arterial bleeding in this space. This can lead to compression of the brain and the herniation (protrusion) of brain tissue, like subfalcine and transtentorial herniations. In such situations, urgent neurosurgical intervention is necessary to remove the blood and reduce the growing pressure inside the skull.
References
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Text written by Muhammad A. Javaid, MD, PhD © 2023 IMAIOS.
Ghannam, J.Y. and Al Kharazi, K.A. Neuroanatomy, Cranial Meninges. [Updated 2023 Jul 24]. In: StatPearls [Internet]. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; 2023 Jan-. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK539882/
Snell, R.S. (2010). ‘Chapter 15: The meninges of the brain and the spinal cord’, in Clinical Neuroanatomy. (7th ed.) Philadelphia: Wolters Kluwer Health/Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, pp.427-444.
