Subarachnoid cisterns of the brain (Inferior view) (Latin)

Anterior to the medulla oblongata and pons of the truncus encephali are the cisterna premedullaris and cisterna prepontina, which contain the confluence of the aa. vertebralis that forms the a. basilaris. Laterally, the cisterna prepontina is continuous with the cisterna cerebellopontina while superiorly and laterally, the cisterna premedullaris is continuous with both the cisterna cerebellopontina and cisterna cerebellomedullaris lateralis, which collectively contain nn. craniales VII-XII. The cisterna interpeduncularis is located inferior to the corpora mamillaria and anterior to the pedunculi cerebi of the midbrain. The n. oculomotorius (CN III), a. basilaris, a. posterior cerebri and a. superior cerebelli pass through this cistern. The cisterna ambiens is formed of sheet-like extensions of the cisterna quadrigeminalis, which extend laterally around the truncus encephali and posterior to the thalami. A number of cisternae supratentoriae are named according to the structures they surround such as the cisterna oculomotoria, cisterna olfactoria, cisterna chiasmatica and cisterna carotidis. The bilateral cisterna fossae lateralis cerebri is formed as the arachnoid mater bridges the sulcus lateralis just anterior to the lobus temporalis and is therefore also known as the cisterna Sylvii. The cisterna laminae terminalis connects the cisterna interpeduncularis to the cisterna pericallosa (previous image) and contains the a. anterior cerebri and a. communicans anterior.