A note on the anatomy of the meningeal blood vessels: 3. Their Functional Importance Suggested by Some Experiments on Cerebral Microembolism

1. The arteries, veins and vessels of the meningeal plexus in man were studied histologically. 2. The arteries provide a rich collateral circulation by virtue of anastomosing meningeal loops. 3. The veins are closely connected with the meningeal vascular plexus which consists of vessels about double the diameter of the capillaries of the cerebral cortex, but they have essentially the same histological structure. 4. The meningeal vascular plexus receives much of its blood supply from the capillary plexus of the upper layer of the cerebral cortex. 5. The importance of the meningeal vessels in protecting the cerebral cortex against ischemia is discussed. 6. The function of the meningeal vessels in the mechanism of cererbal micro embolism is briefly described.