Subarachnoid space
Last revised by Tariq Walizai
on 29 Jan 2025
Citation, DOI, disclosures and article data
Citation:
Jones J, Walizai T, Sharma R, et al. Subarachnoid space. Reference article, Radiopaedia.org (Accessed on 18 Mar 2025) https://doi.org/10.53347/rID-5857
rID:
5857
Article created:
Disclosures:
At the time the article was created Jeremy Jones had no recorded disclosures.
View Jeremy Jones's current disclosures
Last revised:
29 Jan 2025,
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:
10 times, by
9 contributors -
see full revision history and disclosures
Systems:
Sections:
Tags:
Synonyms:
- Subarachnoid spaces
The subarachnoid space is the interval between the arachnoid membrane and the pia mater. It is occupied by delicate connective tissue trabeculae and intercommunicating channels containing cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) as well as branches of the arteries and veins of the brain.
The cavity is small in the normal brain. Over the gyri, the arachnoid membrane and pia mater are in close contact. However, in the sulci, triangular spaces develop because the pia mater is closely applied to the cerebral cortex and the arachnoid membrane bridges the gap between adjacent gyri without descending into each sulcus.
At certain points, the pia mater and arachnoid membrane are separated by wide intervals which communicate freely with each other known as subarachnoid cisterns, in which the subarachnoid tissue is less abundant.
The subarachnoid space is subdivided into two functional compartments by the very thin subarachnoid lymphatic-like membrane, which compartmentalises the flow of cerebrospinal fluid, and has potential roles in neuroinflammatory conditions 1.
The subarachnoid space is also contiguous around the spinal cord.
Related pathology
subarachnoid FLAIR hyperintensity (differential diagnosis)
References
- 1. Møllgård K, Beinlich F, Kusk P et al. A Mesothelium Divides the Subarachnoid Space into Functional Compartments. Science. 2023;379(6627):84-8. doi:10.1126/science.adc8810 - Pubmed
Incoming Links
Articles:
- Ventricular system
- Diaphragma sellae
- Papilloedema
- Perivascular spaces
- CSF-lymphatic fistula
- Subarachnoid cisterns
- Scala vestibuli
- Pseudosubarachnoid haemorrhage
- Benign enlargement of the subarachnoid space in infancy
- Extra-axial
- Perilymph
- Intracranial arteries
- Perilymphatic duct
- Optic nerve
- Tadpole sign (bridging vein thrombosis)
- Dural arteriovenous fistula
- Lateral apertures (of Luschka)
- Subarachnoid haemorrhage (summary)
- Arachnoid cyst
- Arachnoid mater
Cases:
- Acute tentorium cerebelli subdural haematoma
- Idiopathic intracranial hypertension
- Idiopathic intracranial hypertension
- Subarachnoid FLAIR vascular hyperintensities
- Bacterial meningitis - septation of subarachnoid spaces
- Idiopathic intracranial hypertension
- Skull fracture - infant
- Subarachnoid FLAIR vascular hyperintensities
- Idiopathic intracranial hypertension with VI CN palsy - paediatric
- Idiopathic intracranial hypertension
- Trigeminal schwannoma - mandibular division
- Benign enlargement of subarachnoid spaces in infancy (BESS)
- Idiopathic intracranial hypertension
- Cerebral venous thrombosis with secondary intracranial hypertension
- Idiopathic intracranial hypertension (IIH)
- Idiopathic intracranial hypertension
- Intracranial hypertension secondary to cerebral venous thrombosis
- Idiopathic intracranial hypertension (IIH)
- Idiopathic intracranial hypertension
- Cerebral metastases from lung cancer with amyloid angiopathy and cerebellopontine angle meningioma
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
Unable to process the form. Check for errors and try again.