cerebrospinal fluid flows to the fourth ventricle when it exits the cerebral aqueduct.
cerebrospinal fluid flows to the fourth ventricle when it exits the cerebral aqueduct.
where does cerebrospinal fluid flow to when it exits the cerebral aqueduct?
the fourth ventricle
cerebral aqueduct









































the cerebral aqueduct, (aqueductus mesencephali, mesencephalic duct, sylvian aqueduct, or aqueduct of sylvius), is within the midbrain. it contains cerebrospinal fluid (csf), and connects the third ventricle to the fourth ventricle, located dorsal to the pons and ventral to the cerebellum.









































it was first named after franciscus sylvius.









































section::::structure.









































section::::structure.:development.









































the cerebral aqueduct, as other parts of the ventricular system of the brain, develops from the central canal of the neural tube, and it originates from the portion of the neural tube that is present in the developing mesencephalon, hence the name "mesencephalic duct."









































section::::function.
cerebral aqueduct
the narrowness of the cerebral aqueduct and foramina means that they can become blocked, for example, by blood following a hemorrhagic stroke. as cerebrospinal fluid is continually produced by the choroid plexus within the ventricles, a blockage of outflow leads to increasingly high pressure in the lateral ventricles. as a consequence, this commonly leads in turn to hydrocephalus. medically one would call this post-haemorrhagic acquired hydrocephalus, but is often referred to colloquially by the layperson as "water on the brain". this is an extremely serious condition regardless of the cause of blockage. an endoscopic third ventriculostomy is a surgical procedure for the treatment of hydrocephalus in which an opening is created in the floor of the third ventricle using an endoscope placed within the ventricular system through a burr hole. this allows the cerebrospinal fluid to flow directly to the basal cisterns, thereby bypassing any obstruction. a surgical procedure to make an entry hole to access any of the ventricles is called a ventriculostomy. this is done to drain accumulated cerebrospinal fluid either through a temporary catheter or a permanent shunt.
ventricular system