Midbrain
Last revised by Tariq Walizai
on 28 Jun 2024
Citation, DOI, disclosures and article data
Citation:
Jones J, Walizai T, Gaillard F, et al. Midbrain. Reference article, Radiopaedia.org (Accessed on 22 Nov 2024) https://doi.org/10.53347/rID-5800
Permalink:
rID:
5800
Article created:
Disclosures:
At the time the article was created Jeremy Jones had no recorded disclosures.
View Jeremy Jones's current disclosures
Last revised:
28 Jun 2024,
Tariq Walizai
Disclosures:
At the time the article was last revised Tariq Walizai had no financial relationships to ineligible companies to disclose.
View Tariq Walizai's current disclosures
Revisions:
18 times, by
11 contributors -
see full revision history and disclosures
Systems:
Sections:
Tags:
Synonyms:
- Mesencephalon
- Mesencephalons
- Mesencephala
- Midbrains
The midbrain, or mesencephalon (plural: mesencephala or mesencephalons), is the most rostral part of the brainstem and sits above the pons and is adjoined rostrally to the thalamus. During development, the midbrain forms from the middle of three vesicles that arise from the neural tube.
When viewed in cross-section, the midbrain can be divided into three portions:
tectum (posterior)
cerebral peduncles (anterior)
Sitting posteriorly, the tectum (Latin for "roof" or "covering") is composed of the tectal (quadrigeminal) plate and superior and inferior colliculi. The tectum is unique to the midbrain and does not have a counterpart in the rest of the brainstem.
The tegmentum is the phylogenetically-old part of the brainstem and runs through the pons and medulla oblongata. In the adult brain, it contains all the brainstem nuclei.
Anterior to the tegmentum are the cerebral peduncles which are composed of the large ascending and descending tracts that run to and from the cerebrum.
Blood supply
The midbrain is supplied by the vertebrobasilar circulation, from small penetrating branches of the:
Related pathology
-
midbrain infarct
Quiz questions
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References
- 1. Susan Standring. Gray's Anatomy. (2008) ISBN: 9780443066849 - Google Books
- 2. Michael Schünke. Thieme Atlas of Anatomy. (2007) ISBN: 9783131421210 - Google Books
Incoming Links
Articles:
- Tegmentum
- Trigeminal nerve
- Habenula
- Mesencephalic nucleus of the trigeminal nerve
- Ventral tegmental area
- Brainstem
- Kernohan phenomenon
- Duret haemorrhage
- Pons
- Rule of 4 of the brainstem
- Corpora quadrigemina
- Diencephalon
- Double panda sign
- Pontomesencephalic angle
- Brain
- Medial posterior choroidal artery
- Cerebral peduncles
- Adamantinomatous craniopharyngioma
- Posterior circulation infarction
- Brainstem glioma
Cases:
- Joubert syndrome related disorders (JSRD)
- Glioblastoma, IDH-wildtype
- Primary CNS lymphoma
- Pontocerebellar hypoplasia
- Brainstem arterial territories (diagrams)
- Brainstem cross-sectional anatomy (diagrams)
- Meningioma - pineal region
- Supratentorial ependymoma
- Artery of Percheron territory infarct
- Cerebral tuberculosis
- Artery of Percheron infarct
- Basilar artery occlusion - brainstem infarction
- Japanese encephalitis
- Epidermoid cyst compressing the trigeminal nerve
- Hummingbird sign (midbrain)
- Haemangioblastoma
- Intracranial epidermoid cyst
- Bilateral thalamic glioma
- Leptomeningeal drop metastases - medulloblastoma
- Midbrain anatomy
Multiple choice questions:
Related articles: Anatomy: Brain
-
brain
- grey matter
- white matter
-
cerebrum
-
cerebral hemisphere (telencephalon)
- cerebral lobes and gyri
- frontal lobe
- parietal lobe
-
occipital lobe
- occipital pole
- lingual gyrus
- fusiform gyrus (Brodmann area 37)
- calcarine (visual) cortex
- cuneus
- temporal lobe
- basal forebrain
- limbic system
- insula
-
cerebral sulci and fissures (A-Z)
- calcarine fissure
- callosal sulcus
- central (Rolandic) sulcus
- cingulate sulcus
- collateral sulcus
- inferior frontal sulcus
- inferior occipital sulcus
- inferior temporal sulcus
- interhemispheric fissure
- intraparietal sulcus
- lateral (Sylvian) sulcus
- lateral occipital sulcus
- marginal sulcus
- occipitotemporal sulcus
- olfactory sulcus
- paracentral sulcus
- paraolfactory sulcus
- parieto-occipital fissure
- posterior parolfactory sulcus
- precentral sulcus
- preoccipital notch
- postcentral sulcus
- rhinal sulcus
- rostral sulcus
- subparietal sulcus
- superior frontal sulcus
- superior occipital sulcus
- superior temporal sulcus
- cortical histology
- cerebral lobes and gyri
- white matter tracts
- deep grey matter
-
pituitary gland
- posterior pituitary and stalk (part of diencephalon)
- anterior pituitary
- inferior hypophyseal arterial circle
- diencephalon
-
cerebral hemisphere (telencephalon)
-
brainstem
- midbrain (mesencephalon)
- pons (part of metencephalon)
- medulla oblongata (myelencephalon)
- white matter
-
grey matter
- non-cranial nerve
-
cranial nerve nuclei
- oculomotor nucleus
- Edinger-Westphal nucleus
- trochlear nucleus
- motor nucleus of CN V
- mesencephalic nucleus of CN V
- main sensory nucleus of CN V
- spinal nucleus of CN V
- abducent nucleus
- facial nucleus
- superior salivatory nucleus
- cochlear nuclei
- vestibular nuclei
- inferior salivatory nucleus
- solitary tract nucleus
- ambiguus nucleus
- dorsal vagal motor nucleus
- hypoglossal nucleus
-
cerebellum (part of metencephalon)
- vermis
- cerebellar hemisphere
- cerebellar peduncles
- cranial meninges (meninx primitiva)
- CSF spaces
-
cranial nerves (mnemonic)
- olfactory nerve (CN I)
- optic nerve (CN II)
- oculomotor nerve (CN III)
- trochlear nerve (CN IV)
- trigeminal nerve (CN V) (mnemonic)
- abducens nerve (CN VI)
- facial nerve (CN VII) (segments mnemonic | branches mnemonic)
-
vestibulocochlear nerve (CN VIII)
- vestibular ganglion (Scarpa's ganglion)
- glossopharyngeal nerve (CN IX)
- vagus nerve (CN X)
- spinal accessory nerve (CN XI)
- hypoglossal nerve (CN XII)
- functional neuroanatomy
- CNS development
- cerebral vascular supply
- arteries
- vascular territories
-
circle of Willis
- internal carotid artery (ICA) (segments)
- vertebral artery
-
normal variants
- intracranial arterial fenestration
- internal carotid artery (ICA)
- anterior cerebral artery (ACA)
- middle cerebral artery (MCA)
- posterior cerebral artery (PCA)
- basilar artery
- persistent carotid-vertebrobasilar artery anastomoses (mnemonic)
- vertebral artery
- ophthalmic artery
-
cerebral venous system
-
dural venous sinuses
- basilar venous plexus
- cavernous sinus (mnemonic)
- clival diploic veins
- inferior petro-occipital vein
- inferior petrosal sinus
- inferior sagittal sinus
- intercavernous sinus
- internal carotid artery venous plexus of Rektorzik
- jugular bulb
- marginal sinus
- occipital sinus
- sigmoid sinus
- sphenoparietal sinus
- straight sinus
- superior petrosal sinus
- superior sagittal sinus
- torcula herophili
- transverse sinus
-
cerebral veins
-
superficial veins of the brain
- superior cerebral veins (superficial cerebral veins)
- inferior cerebral veins
- superficial middle cerebral vein
- superior anastomotic vein (of Trolard)
- inferior anastomotic vein (of Labbe)
-
superficial veins of the brain
-
deep veins of the brain
- great cerebral vein (of Galen)
- venous circle of Trolard
- normal variants
-
dural venous sinuses
- arteries
- glymphatic pathway
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