Middle meningeal artery
The middle meningeal artery is the dominant supply of the cranial dura. It arises from the first part of the maxillary artery, a terminal branch of the external carotid artery. It enters the middle cranial fossa via the foramen spinosum. Here it gives off two basal branches—the petrosal branch and the cavernous branch—before dividing into anterior and posterior divisions 1:
- The anterior division runs anterolaterally through the middle cranial fossa on the greater wing of sphenoid before coursing superiorly, often grooving the bone, and passes under the pterion before giving its terminal branches over the upper parietal bone.
- The posterior division runs horizontally posteriorly over the squamous part of the temporal bone to give rise to its terminal branches over the lower parietal bone.
On this page:
Gross anatomy
Relations and/or Boundaries
In its extracranial portion, the middle meningeal artery runs vertically through the roots of the auriculotemporal nerve.
Variant anatomy
The ophthalmic artery infrequently arises from the middle meningeal artery 4.
Conversely, the middle meningeal artery infrequently arises from branches of the internal carotid artery. The most common of these origins is the ophthalmic artery, when it may be termed the "ophthalmic-middle meningeal artery" 5,6, or an ophthalmic branch like the lacrimal artery 9. Rarely, the middle meningeal artery arises from a persistent stapedial artery from the petrous segment of the internal carotid artery, when it may be termed the "stapedial-middle meningeal artery" 5.
Rarely, the middle meningeal artery has anastomoses with or origin from the basilar artery 7,8.
Related pathology
- epidural hematoma, which is most commonly due to traumatic rupture of the middle meningeal artery
- chronic recurrent subdural hematoma, which may be treated with middle meningeal artery embolization 3
- intracranial dural arteriovenous fistula, for which the middle meningeal artery is the most common arterial feeder 3
- meningioma, which may be embolized preoperatively via the middle meningeal artery 3
Related Radiopaedia articles
Anatomy: Head and neck
- skeleton of the head and neck
-
cranial vault
- scalp (mnemonic)
- fontanelle
-
sutures
- calvarial
- facial
- frontozygomatic suture
- frontomaxillary suture
- frontolacrimal suture
- frontonasal suture
- temporozygomatic suture
- zygomaticomaxillary suture
- parietotemporal suture (parietomastoid suture)
- occipitotemporal suture (occipitomastoid suture)
- sphenofrontal suture
- sphenozygomatic suture
- spheno-occipital suture (not a true suture)
- lacrimomaxillary suture
- nasomaxillary suture
- internasal suture
- basal/internal
- skull landmarks
- frontal bone
- temporal bone
- parietal bone
- occipital bone
- skull base (foramina)
-
facial bones
- midline single bones
- paired bilateral bones
- cervical spine
- hyoid bone
- laryngeal cartilages
-
cranial vault
- muscles of the head and neck
- muscles of the tongue (mnemonic)
- muscles of mastication
-
muscles of facial expression
- occipitalis muscle
- circumorbital and palpebral muscles
- nasal muscles
- buccolabial muscles
- elevators, retractors and evertors of the upper lip
- levator labii superioris alaeque nasalis muscle
- levator labii superioris muscle
- zygomaticus major muscle
- zygomaticus minor muscle
- malaris muscle
- levator anguli oris muscle
- risorius muscle
- depressors, retractors and evertors of the lower lip
- depressor labii inferioris muscle
- depressor anguli oris muscle
- mentalis muscle
- compound sphincter
- orbicularis oris muscle
- incisivus superior muscle
- incisivus inferior muscle
- muscle of mastication:
- elevators, retractors and evertors of the upper lip
- muscles of the middle ear
- orbital muscles
- muscles of the soft palate
- pharyngeal muscles
- suprahyoid muscles
- infrahyoid muscles
- intrinsic muscles of the larynx
- muscles of the neck
- accessory muscles of the neck
- deep cervical fascia
-
deep spaces of the neck
- anterior cervical space
- buccal space
- carotid space
- danger space
- deep cervical fascia
- infratemporal fossa
- masticator space
- parapharyngeal space
- stylomandibular tunnel
- parotid space
- pharyngeal (superficial) mucosal space
- perivertebral space
- posterior cervical space
- pterygopalatine fossa
- retropharyngeal space
- suprasternal space (of Burns)
- visceral space
- surgical triangles of the neck
- orbit
- ear
- paranasal sinuses
- nose
- oral cavity
- pharynx
- larynx
- viscera of the neck
- blood supply of the head and neck
-
arterial supply
-
common carotid artery
- carotid body
- carotid bifurcation
- subclavian artery
- variants
-
common carotid artery
- venous drainage
-
arterial supply
- innervation of the head and neck
-
cranial nerves
- olfactory nerve (CN I)
- optic nerve (CN II)
- oculomotor nerve (CN III)
- trochlear nerve (CN IV)
-
trigeminal nerve (CN V) (mnemonic)
- trigeminal ganglion
- ophthalmic division
- maxillary division
- mandibular division
- abducens nerve (CN VI)
- facial nerve (CN VII)
-
vestibulocochlear nerve (CN VIII)
- vestibular ganglion (Scarpa's ganglion)
- glossopharyngeal nerve (CN IX)
-
vagus nerve (CN X)
- superior laryngeal nerve
- recurrent laryngeal nerve (inferior laryngeal nerve)
- (spinal) accessory nerve (CN XI)
- hypoglossal nerve (CN XII)
- parasympathetic ganglia of the head and neck
- greater occipital nerve
- third occipital nerve
-
cervical plexus
- muscular branches
- longus capitis
- longus colli
- scalenes
- geniohyoid
- thyrohyoid
-
ansa cervicalis
- omohyoid (superior and inferior bellies separately)
- sternothyroid
- sternohyoid
- phrenic nerve
- contribution to the accessory nerve (CN XI)
- cutaneous branches
- muscular branches
- brachial plexus
- pharyngeal plexus
-
cranial nerves
- lymphatic drainage of the head and neck
- embryological development of the head and neck
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