Subarachnoid Cisterns

The cisterns are expanded areas of the subarachnoid space. They are caused by the complex shape of the brain as the arachnoid tries to conform to bends and curves. They border many brain areas and they contain important segments of blood vessels and cranial nerves traveling to other regions. Thus, they are important radiological areas for detecting potential pathology (tumors, hemorrhage, etc.).

Click on the cistern to display it

• Transverse cerebral fissure
• Quadrageminal
• Ambient
• Interpeduncular
• Chiasmatic
• Cisterna Magna
• Pontine
• Cerebellomedullary

Axial or Coronal Plane

MRI images: The Whole Brain Atlas, Keith A. Johnson, M.D. and J. Alex Becker, Ph.D., http://www.med.harvard.edu/AANLIB/home.html