|
The meninges (singular meninx) are the system of membranes that envelop the central nervous system. The meninges consist of three layers: the dura mater, the arachnoid mater, and the pia mater.
Anatomy The arachnoid and pia mater are sometimes together called the leptomeninges. The subarachnoid space is the space that normally exists between the arachnoid and the pia mater, which is filled with cerebrospinal fluid. Normally, the dura mater is attached to the skull in the head, or to the bones of the vertebral canal in the spinal cord. The arachnoid is attached to the dura mater, and the pia mater is attached to the central nervous system tissue. When the dura mater and the arachnoid separate through injury or illness, the space between them is the subdural space. Pathology There are three types of hemorrhage involving the meninges: Other medical conditions that affect the meninges include meningitis (usually from fungal, bacterial, or viral infection) and meningiomas arising from the meninges or from tumors formed elsewhere in the body which metastasize to the meninges. | ||||||||
|
| |||||||||
 |
|
| |