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)
tegmentum
cerebral peduncles (anterior)
1. DR UPENDRA BHARDWAJ
GUIDE DR SUDHEER KUMAR TYAGI
HOD NEUROSURGERY DEPARTMENT INDRAPRASTH APOLLO HOSPITAL
NEW DELHI
2. • 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)
• TEGMENTUM
• CEREBRAL PEDUNCLES (ANTERIOR)
3.
4. SECTION AT SUPERIOR COLLICULUS
• COLLICULUS MEANS HILL
• SUBESTENTIA NIGRA
• RED NUCLEUS
• EDINGER WESTFAL NUCLEUS
• 3RD NERVE NUCLEUS
• MESENCEPHALIC NUCLEUS OF V NERVE
• MEDIAL LONGITUDINAL FASCICULUS
• SPINAL LAMINISCUS
• MEDIAL LAMINISCUS
• CEREBRAL PEDUNCLE
17. SUBSTANTIA NIGRA
• SUBSTANTIA NIGRA IS LATIN FOR "BLACK SUBSTANCE", REFLECTING THE FACT
THAT PARTS OF THE SUBSTANTIA NIGRA APPEAR DARKER THAN
NEIGHBOURING AREAS DUE TO HIGH LEVELS
OF NEUROMELANIN IN DOPAMINERGICNEURONS.
21. EDINGER-WESTPHAL NUCLEUS
• THE EDINGER–WESTPHAL NUCLEUS (ACCESSORY OCULOMOTOR NUCLEUS) IS THE
PARASYMPATHETIC PRE-GANGLIONIC NUCLEUS THAT INNERVATES THE IRIS SPHINCTER
MUSCLE AND THE CILIARY MUSCLE.
38. DORSAL TEGMENTAL NUCLEUS
• THE DORSAL TEGMENTAL NUCLEUS (DTN), ALSO KNOWN AS DORSAL
TEGMENTAL NUCLEUS OF GUDDEN (DTG), IS A GROUP OF NEURONS LOCATED
IN THE BRAIN STEM, WHICH ARE INVOLVED IN SPATIAL NAVIGATION AND
ORIENTATION.
44. • BENEDIKT SYNDROME, OR PARAMEDIAN MIDBRAIN SYNDROME, IS A MIDBRAIN
STROKE SYNDROME THAT INVOLVES THE FASCICLES OF THE OCULOMOTOR
THE RED NUCLEUS. PAGE:
• CLINICAL PRESENTATION
• IPSILATERAL CN III PALSY
• CROSSED HEMIATAXIA
• CROSSED CHOREOATHETOSIS
• PATHOLOGY
• IT IS USUALLY CAUSED BY AN ISCHEMIC STROKE, TYPICALLY INVOLVING
THE POSTERIOR CEREBRAL ARTERY
45.
46. • CLAUDE SYNDROME IS ONE OF THE BRAINSTEM STROKE SYNDROMES IN WHICH
THERE IS INFARCTION OF THE DORSOMEDIAL ASPECT OF THE MIDBRAIN.
• CLINICAL PRESENTATION
• CLINICAL PICTURE IS CHARACTERISTIC AND INCLUDES
PALSY AND CONTRALATERAL UPPER AND LOWER LIMB ATAXIA 1-4.
• PATHOLOGY
• CLAUDE SYNDROME IS GENERALLY CAUSED BY AN ISCHEMIC
OCCLUSION OF THE SMALL PERFORATING BRANCHES OF THE POSTERIOR
ARTERY SUPPLYING THE DORSOMEDIAL ASPECT OF THE MIDBRAIN 1-4. THE
INVOLVES THE MEDIAL ASPECT OF THE RED NUCLEUS WITH THE RUBRODENTATE
III NUCLEUS AND SUPERIOR CEREBELLAR PEDUNCLE 1-4.
47. • NOTHNAGEL SYNDROME IS A RARE MIDBRAIN SYNDROME THAT INVOLVES THE
TECTUM OF THE MIDBRAIN (QUADRIGEMINAL PLATE) AND SUPERIOR CEREBELLAR
• CLINICAL PRESENTATION
• CLASSICALLY, THE SYNDROME INVOLVES THE OCULOMOTOR NERVE FASCICLES
CEREBELLAR PEDUNCLE, LEADING TO IPSILATERAL CN III PALSY AND LIMB
RESPECTIVELY
• PATHOLOGY
• ALTHOUGH IT CAN BE CAUSED BY STROKE, ESPECIALLY HEMORRHAGES RATHER
INFARCTIONS, IT IS MORE COMMONLY SEEN DUE TO NEOPLASM EXTENDING
PLATE INTO THE SUPERIOR CEREBELLAR PEDUNCLES.
48. • WEBER SYNDROME IS A MIDBRAIN STROKE SYNDROME THAT INVOLVES
THE CEREBRAL PEDUNCLE AND THE IPSILATERAL FASCICLES OF THE OCULOMOTOR
NERVE OCCASIONALLY THE SUBSTANTIA NIGRA CAN ALSO BE INVOLVED
• CLINICAL PRESENTATION
• IPSILATERAL CN III PALSY
• DIPLOPIA
• PTOSIS
• AFFERENT PUPILLARY DEFECT
• CONTRALATERAL HEMIPLEGIA OR HEMIPARESIS
• INVOLVEMENT OF THE CORTICOSPINAL AND/OR CORTICOBULBAR TRACTS
• CONTRALATERAL PARKINSONIAN RIGIDITY (ONLY IF SUBSTANTIA NIGRAINVOLVED)
• PATHOLOGY
• IT IS USUALLY CAUSED BY AN ISCHEMIC STROKE, TYPICALLY INVOLVING BRANCHES
THE POSTERIOR CEREBRAL ARTERY