Angioarchitecture of the middle meningeal artery

an integrative literature review

Abstract

Introduction: The middle meningeal artery, one of the most important arteries of the dura mater, has a complex embryological origin, resulting in numerous anatomical variations. Knowledge of its anatomy, morphometric aspects, and anatomical variations is of great value in surgical situations and understanding clinical conditions. This article aims to integratively review the anatomical organization, variations, and morphometric aspects of the middle meningeal artery. Objective: To review in an integrative way the Angioarchitecture of the middle meningeal artery. Methods: This is an integrative literature review written in accordance with the PRISMA recommendations (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyzes), which analyzed studies published in English using as reference the databases PUBMED (Public Medline or Publisher Medline), BVS (Virtual Health Library), and MEDLINE using the following descriptors: Middle Meningeal Artery, Anatomical Variations, Anatomy. Results: Of the 89 studies identified after removing duplicates, 10 met the eligibility criteria and were included in the synthesis. Conclusion: A strong relationship was observed between the aspects of this arterial segment and a variety of clinical conditions, with anatomical variations being the conditions best documented in the literature. On the other hand, information is scarce concerning the information on morphometric data of this blood vessel, a fact that reiterates the importance of promoting studies aimed at understanding this vessel.