Prepontine cistern

Changed by Frank Gaillard, 13 Sep 2020

Back to revision history

Updates to Article Attributes

Title was changed:

~~Pontine~~Prepontine cistern

Body was changed:

Show markup changes

Theprepontine cistern, or simply pontine cistern, or ~~prepontine cistern~~, is a an unpaired CSF-filled subarachnoid cistern located ventral to the pons and dorsal to the clivus.

It is ~~contiguous with~~bounded by arachnoid membranes which separate it from surrounding cisterns.

superiorly the membrane of Liliequist ~~laterally~~, above which is the interpeduncular cistern ~~superiorly~~
inferiorly the medial pontomedullary membrane, ~~and~~below which is the premedullary cistern ~~inferiorly. It receives~~
laterally the anterior pontine membranes, lateral to each are the cerebellopontine cisterns through which most CSF ~~from~~enters the ~~fourth ventricle via the lateral apertures.~~prepontine cistern

A number of vessels and a cranial nerve course through this cistern¹:

and the content is somewhat variably described depending on how the borders of the cistern are defined. Using the arachnoid membranes as landmarks result in the least structures, limited to merely the basilar artery ~~and~~, some of its ~~labyrinthine~~branches (pontine perforators and ~~pontine branches~~
the origin of the AICA
) and the transverse pontine veins⁶.
The
CNabducens nerve (CN VI)

, often cited as traversing the prepontine cistern is more accurately considered coursing in the anterior pontine membrane and thus, not strictly speaking within the cistern but rather in its wall ⁶.

-The pontine cistern, or prepontine cistern, is a <a href="/articles/cerebrospinal-fluid-1">CSF</a>-filled <a href="/articles/subarachnoid-cisterns">subarachnoid cistern</a> located ventral to the <a href="/articles/pons">pons</a> and dorsal to the <a href="/articles/clivus">clivus</a>.It is contiguous with the <a href="/articles/cerebellopontine-angle-cistern">pontocerebellar cisterns</a> laterally, <a href="/articles/interpeduncular-cistern">interpeduncular cistern</a> superiorly, and <a href="/articles/premedullary-cistern-1">premedullary cistern</a> inferiorly. It receives CSF from the fourth ventricle via the lateral apertures.A number of vessels and a cranial nerve course through this cistern1:<ul>
~~-<li>~~
~~-<a href="/articles/basilar-artery">basilar artery</a> and its labyrinthine and pontine branches</li>~~
~~-<li>the origin of the <a title="Anterior inferior cerebellar artery" href="/articles/anterior-inferior-cerebellar-artery">AICA</a>~~
+The prepontine cistern, or simply pontine cistern, is an unpaired CSF-filled <a href="/articles/subarachnoid-cisterns">subarachnoid cistern</a> located ventral to the <a href="/articles/pons">pons</a> and dorsal to the <a href="/articles/clivus">clivus</a>.It is bounded by <a href="/articles/arachnoid-membranes">arachnoid membranes</a> which separate it from surrounding cisterns. <ul>
+<li>superiorly the <a href="/articles/liliequist-membrane">membrane of Liliequist</a>, above which is the <a href="/articles/interpeduncular-cistern">interpeduncular cistern</a>
~~-<li><a href="/articles/abducens-nerve">CN VI</a></li>~~
~~-</ul>~~
+<li>inferiorly the <a href="/articles/medial-pontomedullary-membrane">medial pontomedullary membrane</a>, below which is the <a href="/articles/premedullary-cistern-1">premedullary cistern</a>
+</li>
+<li>laterally the <a href="/articles/anterior-pontine-membrane">anterior pontine membranes</a>, lateral to each are the <a href="/articles/cerebellopontine-angle-cistern">cerebellopontine cisterns</a> through which most CSF enters the prepontine cistern</li>
+</ul>A number of vessels and a cranial nerve course through this cistern and the content is somewhat variably described depending on how the borders of the cistern are defined. Using the arachnoid membranes as landmarks result in the least structures, limited to merely the <a href="/articles/basilar-artery">basilar artery</a>, some of its branches (pontine perforators and the origin of the <a href="/articles/anterior-inferior-cerebellar-artery">AICA</a>) and the <a title="transverse pontine veins" href="/articles/transverse-pontine-veins">transverse pontine veins</a> 6. The <a href="/articles/abducens-nerve">abducens nerve (CN VI)</a>, often cited as traversing the prepontine cistern is more accurately considered coursing in the anterior pontine membrane and thus, not strictly speaking within the cistern but rather in its wall 6.

References changed:

6. Matsuno, Haruo, Rhoton, Albert L., Peace, David. Microsurgical Anatomy of the Posterior Fossa Cisterns. (1988) Neurosurgery. 23 (1): 58. <a href="https://doi.org/10.1227/00006123-198807000-00012">doi:10.1227/00006123-198807000-00012</a> - <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/3173665">Pubmed</a>