Herniation Syndromes
Compartments
Supratentorial Compartment
- Contains the Cerebral hemispheres (telencephalon and diencephalon).
Infratentorial Compartment
- Contains the brainstem and cerebellum.
key forms of herniation
- Subfalcine
- Central
- Uncal
- Upward cerebellar
- Tonsillar herniation (commonly seen in Chiari Malformation)
Herniation: By Compartment
Supratentorial compartment:
- In subfalcine herniation, one cerebral hemisphere herniates underneath the falx cerebri.
- In central herniation (aka transtentorial herniation), the diencephalon herniates directly down through the tentorium cerebelli.
- In uncal herniation, the medial temporal lobe (the uncus) herniates over the tentorium cerebelli.
Infratentorial compartment:
- In upward cerebellar herniation, the cerebellum herniates upward into the supratentorial cavity.
- In tonsillar herniation, the cerebellar tonsils undergo downward herniation through the foramen magnum.