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Middle meningeal artery hemorrhage: An incorrect name
Author(s) -
Fishpool Samuel J.C.,
Suren Nathalie,
Roncaroli Federico,
Ellis Harold
Publication year - 2007
Publication title -
clinical anatomy
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.667
H-Index - 71
eISSN - 1098-2353
pISSN - 0897-3806
DOI - 10.1002/ca.20377
Subject(s) - middle meningeal artery , medicine , cadaveric spasm , anatomy , sphenoid bone , foramen , artery , skull , radiology , surgery , embolization
Extradural hemorrhage is most commonly assumed to result from a middle meningeal artery rupture. This article challenges that assumption. The meningeal vasculature of 29 cadaveric specimens was examined macroscopically and microscopically at the level of the greater wing of the sphenoid bone and foramen spinosum. It was observed that the middle meningeal artery is accompanied by a pair of dural sinuses throughout the majority of its course, thus making exclusively arterial rupture an anatomical improbability. Furthermore, as these dural sinuses pass caudally through the foramen spinosum with the middle meningeal artery, they were seen to diverge to form a plexiform arrangement around the artery. This has not been reported before. Clin. Anat. 20:371–375, 2007. © 2006 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.