The cranial meninges are three concentric connective-tissue layers enclosing the brain: the dura mater (outermost), the arachnoid mater (middle), and the pia mater (innermost, closely applied to the brain surface), with the arachnoid and pia together forming the leptomeninges—the layers involved in meningeal inflammation (meningitis). Functionally, the meninges protect the brain, support traversing vascular structures, and enclose the subarachnoid space, which contains cerebrospinal fluid essential to normal brain function; the cranial meninges are structurally continuous with the spinal meninges, situating this topic within neuroanatomy as a foundational protective and fluid-containing system of the central nervous system.
The cranial meninges are three concentric connective-tissue layers enclosing the brain: the dura mater (outermost), the arachnoid mater (middle), and the pia mater (innermost, closely applied to the …