Posterior meningeal artery

Last revised by Joachim Feger on 13 Feb 2024

Citation, DOI, disclosures and article data

Citation:

Howden W, Feger J, Glick Y, et al. Posterior meningeal artery. Reference article, Radiopaedia.org (Accessed on 07 May 2024) https://doi.org/10.53347/rID-154542

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.53347/rID-154542

Permalink:

https://radiopaedia.org/articles/154542

rID:

154542

Article created:

20 Oct 2022, William Howden

Disclosures:

At the time the article was created William Howden had no financial relationships to ineligible companies to disclose.

View William Howden's current disclosures

Last revised:

13 Feb 2024, Joachim Feger ◉

Disclosures:

At the time the article was last revised Joachim Feger had no financial relationships to ineligible companies to disclose.

View Joachim Feger's current disclosures

Revisions:

6 times, by 6 contributors - see full revision history and disclosures

Systems:

Head & Neck

Sections:

Anatomy

Tags:

artery, posterior fossa, dura matter, refs, snippet, stub

Synonyms:

Posterior meningeal arteries

The posterior meningeal artery (PMA) is the largest artery supplying the dura mater of the posterior cranial fossa ^ref.

Gross anatomy

Origin and course

The origin of the posterior meningeal artery is quite variable ^1,2. It most commonly arises from the V3 segment and occasionally from the V4 segment of the vertebral artery ¹. But rarely it can also arise from the occipital artery, the ascending pharyngeal artery, the upper cervical part of the internal carotid artery or the posterior inferior cerebellar artery ².

It can be divided into two segments: a tortuous extracranial segment and a relatively straight intracranial segment.

Extracranial

Like the vertebral artery, it loops lateral to the posterior arch of the atlas and then pierces through the posterolateral intracranial dura.

Intracranial

It enters the posterior cranial fossa via the foramen magnum. It then ascends parallel to the internal occipital crest and falx cerebelli and then over the confluence of sinuses.

Termination

Terminates just above the tentorium cerebelli/confluence of sinuses at the falx cerebri.

Supply

Primarily the intracranial dura of the posterior cranial fossa and anastomoses with the middle meningeal artery and branches of the occipital artery.

Related pathology

Given its close relation with many vessels in the posterior cranial fossa, the PMA can be associated with dural arteriovenous fistulas involving the tentorium cerebelli, the confluence of sinuses or the transverse-sigmoid sinuses ^ref.