Middle meningeal artery: Anatomy and variations

Abstract

The middle meningeal artery is the major human dural artery. Its origin and course can vary a great deal in relation, not only with the embryologic development of the hyostapedial system, but also because of the relationship of this system with the ICA, ophthalmic artery, trigeminal artery, and inferolateral trunk. After summarizing these systems in the first part our review, our purpose is to describe, in this second part, the anatomy, the possible origins, and courses of the middle meningeal artery. This review is enriched by the correlation of each variant to the related embryologic explanation as well as by some clinical cases shown in the figures. We discuss, in conclusion, some clinical conditions that require detailed knowledge of possible variants of the middle meningeal artery.