Fourth ventricle
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View Jeremy Jones's current disclosuresAt the time the article was last revised Kajanan Nithiyananthan had no financial relationships to ineligible companies to disclose.
View Kajanan Nithiyananthan's current disclosures- 4th ventricle
The fourth ventricle is one of the components of the ventricular system in the brain, along with the lateral and third ventricles. It extends from the cerebral aqueduct (of Sylvius) rostrally to the obex caudally and is filled with CSF.
CSF enters the ventricle via the cerebral aqueduct and leaves via one of four routes:
via the obex and into the central canal
via the median aperture (of Magendie) into the cisterna magna
via one of the two lateral apertures (of Luschka) into the cerebellopontine cistern
It is characteristically tent-shaped or triangular in sagittal cross-section and diamond-shaped in coronal cross-section. It is located dorsal to the pons or upper part of the medulla oblongatais the fastigium.
The roof, located dorsally, is formed by the superior medullary velum and inferior medullary velum overlying the cerebellum. These two surfaces met at an apex projecting into the cerebellum. This is the fastigium and it underlies the fastigial nucleus 3.
The floor, located ventrally, is also known as the rhomboid fossa and is diamond-shaped on the dorsal surface of the pons and upper half of the medulla. It is divided longitudinally by the median sulcus, with median eminences on either side. Each has a focal swelling known as the facial colliculus, formed by facial nerve fibers rounding the abducens nucleus.
The sidewalls are formed by the vela and cerebellar peduncles.
It is widest at the level of the pontomedullary junction. The obex is the most caudal tip of the fourth ventricle.
The fourth ventricle contains choroid plexus along its roof along the tela choroidea which may protrude out the lateral foramina of Luschka.
Related pathology
See also
References
- 1. Stranding S, DSc SSP. Gray's anatomy. Churchill Livingstone. (2005) ISBN:0443071683. Read it at Google Books - Find it at Amazon
- 2. Ross LMMP. Atlas of anatomy. George Thieme Verlag. (2007) ISBN:3131421215. Read it at Google Books - Find it at Amazon
- 3. Tsutsumi S, Fernandez-Miranda J, Ishii H, Ono H, Yasumoto Y. Dorsal Extensions of the Fastigium Cerebelli: An Anatomical Study Using Magnetic Resonance Imaging. Surg Radiol Anat. 2018;40(7):829-34. doi:10.1007/s00276-018-2023-3 - Pubmed
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- Rhomboid fossa (brainstem)
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