Histology of the Human Dura Mater; A review article

Hammady, Maha

doi:10.21608/ejvs.2023.207485.1496

Histology of the Human Dura Mater; A review article

Document Type : Review Artical

Author

maha hammady

Histology and cell biology, Faculty of Medicine, Alexandria University, Alexandria, Egypt.

10.21608/ejvs.2023.207485.1496

Abstract

The dura mater is the outermost soft tissue covering the brain. Dura mater can be involved in many pathologies such as intracranial haemorrhage, meningitis, tumours, congenital anomalies and cerebrospinal fluid leak. It is not just a fibrous cover of the central nervous system, rather it is a complex, highly vascularized, and well-innervated tissue. Studying the normal structure of the dura mater is fundamental to neurosurgeons, radiologists, anesthesiologists, and pathologists. The Dura mater is a tough and inextensible sheath that lies directly inner to both the skull and vertebral column. It is classified anatomically into the cranial dura which covers the brain, and the dural sac which forms a tube surrounding the spinal cord. Both dural parts differ histologically. The dura mater is mainly composed of collagen fibers, entrapping in between elongated fibroblasts. In addition, elastic fibers share in their formation along with collagen fibers to offer some flexibility. Many recent anatomical updates were described in the research articles such as the presence of the telocytes in dural tissue, and the presence of lumbosacral dural venous sinuses. Understanding the normal histology of the dura mater is the first step toward diagnosing and treating various dural pathologies. In this review, we have presented a light and electron microscopic description of the dura mater and its related structures after reviewing original articles and textbooks on neuroanatomy. In addition, we have added new illustrations of the histology of the cranial and spinal dura mater.

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