Middle Meningeal Artery

Key points

• The middle meningeal artery is the vessel torn in an EXTRADURAL haemorrhage, classically after a blow to the pterion (the thin junction of frontal, parietal, temporal and sphenoid bones).
• EXTRADURAL vs SUBDURAL — the classic exam discriminator: extradural gives a LUCID INTERVAL after a significant head injury, with a biconvex (lens-shaped) collection on CT that does not cross suture lines.
• SUBDURAL gives FLUCTUATING consciousness, often after trivial injury in the elderly or in alcohol dependence (bridging vein rupture), with a crescent-shaped collection that DOES cross suture lines.