Cerebral ventricle

As Cerebral ventricle are the cavities in the brain that produce the vital brain water. The ventricular system of the brain consists of a total of four ventricles that communicate with each other and are connected to the external liquor space in the connective tissue layer of the spinal cord. One of the most common complaints in connection with the cerebral ventricles is a cystic mass in the area of ​​the third ventricle, which can block the outflow of CSF and initiate an increase in intracranial pressure.

What are the brain ventricles?

Neurology understands the cerebral ventricles to be extensive cavities in the brain that are filled with liquor, i.e. cerebral water. The ventricular system is thus a cavity system that is roughly divided into four ventricles. In addition to the ventricles of the two cerebral hemispheres, a third ventricle is located in the diencephalon, i.e. the interbrain, and the fourth in the caudal rhomcephalon.

The individual ventricles differ in their anatomy. They are connected to one another by so-called foramina, i.e. holes, as well as structures such as the aqueductus mesencephali and are in permanent communication via these connections. The starting point of the ventricular system is the central canal of the neural tube, which has formed the individual ventricles through growth processes. All cerebral ventricles are covered on the inside. This lining is called the ependyma.

This is a special tissue that is traversed by the so-called choroide plexus. The brain water is located in this vein network. For this reason, the ventricular system is also known as the internal liquor space. This liquor-filled cavity communicates in the area of ​​the fourth ventricle with the outer liquor space, which is located between the arachnoid and the pia mater, i.e. between the meninges and the connective tissue layer in the spinal cord.

Anatomy & structure

The two ventricles of the cerebrum are made up of anterior horn, middle part, posterior horn and lower horn. The so-called rostrum corporis callosi forms the base of the anterior horn. The front wall of the structure, on the other hand, forms the genu corporis callosi. The lateral wall forms the caput nuclei caudati. The inner walls are formed by the septum pellucidum, while the truncus corporis callosi forms the roof. The stria terminalis together with the lamina affixa plexus choroideus and the so-called crus fornicis form the middle part of the two ventricles.

The lateral walls are formed by the corpus nuclei caudati and the inner walls by the septum pellucidum and the crus fornicis. The truncus corporis callosi forms the roof of the ventricles. At the floor of the posterior horn, the ventricles close with the eminentia collateralis and the trigonum collaterale, while the calcar avis forms the inner border and the tapetum forms the lateral border. The lower horn floor consists of the Alveus hippocampi and the Eminentia collateralis.

The choroid plexus forms the inner wall together with the fimbria hippocampi, while the tapetum forms the side wall together with the cauda nuclei caudati. The lateral wall of the cornu posterius and the cornu inferius each correspond to the roof of these two structures. The posterior and anterior horns are secondary protuberances and therefore remain entirely free from the choroid plexus. The third ventricle of the diencephalon sits under the fornix and is formed on the floor by parts of the optic chiasm, the infundibular recess and the supraoptic recess, as well as the midbrain dome.

The plexus choroideus ventriculi tertii and the tela choroidea ventriculi form the roof, while the commissura anterior, the columna fornicis, the lamina terminalis and the recessus triangularis form the anterior wall. The posterior wall of the third ventricle consists of the posterior commissura, the habenular commissure, the suprapineal recess and the pineal recess. The thalamus, together with the stria medullaris thalami, the adhaesio interthalamica and the sulcus hypothalamicus and the hypothalamus, form the lateral wall.

The fourth ventricle of the rhombencephalon is located in the diamond pit and is bounded by the cerebellar sails, the obex and the tela choroidea, as well as the ventriculi quarti, the nodulus and the fastigium. Unlike the rest of the ventricles, this ventricle has three openings that connect to the external CSF space and ensure that CSF drains.

Function & tasks

The most important task of the cerebral ventricular system is to manage the cerebral water. The liquor serves as protection against impacts, friction and pressure. Apart from that, the brain water nourishes the entire brain as well as the spinal cord with glucose. It also transports metabolic products from the brain and serves to protect the brain system from heat.

The capillary lichen, i.e. the choroid plexus of the vnetricle system, form the vital brain water via filtration and secretion processes from blood plasma. Overall, the ventricular system produces between 500 and 700 milliliters of cerebrospinal fluid per day, with resorption processes in the radices spinales and the granulationes arachnoideales keeping the circulation volume of the cerebral water permanently at around 150 milliliters. The cerebral water flows from the ventricular system into the outer liquor space.

This task of the system is also vital and can lead to pathological changes in the brain if it malfunctions. The CSF is also clinically relevant with regard to CSF ​​diagnostics, in which the cerebral fluid is extracted from the external CSF space in order to examine diseases of the central nervous system.

Diseases

One of the most common diseases associated with the cerebral ventricular system is the colloid cyst, which corresponds to a benign cyst structure in the third cerebral ventricle. When the cystic formations displace the Monroi foramen, cerebrospinal fluid congestion occurs. Liguor congestion like this increases intracranial pressure and can be fatal under certain circumstances. To prevent this from happening, colloid cysts are removed using minimally invasive neuroendoscopic procedures.

In addition to these cyst formations, in connection with the ventricles, a pathological enlargement of the liquor spaces can occur, which is usually preceded by an overproduction of cerebral water. Such overproduction can be related to masses such as tumors or blood clots. However, an inflammatory process in the central nervous system or the destruction of brain tissue may also be responsible for the appearance. Also with this disease there is often increased intracranial pressure. The treatment route depends on the cause of the CSF overproduction.

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Typical & common brain diseases

• dementia
• Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease
• Memory lapses
• Cerebral hemorrhage
• Meningitis