The pia mater is the delicate innermost layer of the meninges. It sticks tightly to the surface of the brain and spinal cord, following every gyrus and sulcus, and carries small blood vessels as they enter the nervous tissue. In the spine it thickens to form the denticulate ligaments and the filum terminale.
| Location | On the surface of the brain and spinal cord, dipping into all sulci and fissures |
|---|---|
| Parts |
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| Connections |
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| Blood Supply | Pial arterial network from the cerebral and spinal arteries |
Covers and supports the surface of the brain and spinal cord, guides blood vessels into the nervous tissue and helps anchor the spinal cord.
The pia and arachnoid together are called the leptomeninges. Leptomeningeal metastases (carcinomatous meningitis) coat the pia with cancer cells and cause multiple cranial nerve and root problems. Pial vessels are the site of collateral flow that can limit damage in large artery strokes.
Spread of cancer along the pia and arachnoid causing headache, cranial nerve palsies, radicular pain and hydrocephalus.
A congenital disorder with abnormal pial (leptomeningeal) blood vessels over the brain, a facial port-wine stain, seizures and sometimes glaucoma.
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