CSF, Ventricles & Brain Anatomy
Dura mater
The dura mater is the tough, outermost membrane covering the brain and spinal cord.
In short: Dura mater
- It is the strongest of the three meninges.
- It contains the large venous channels that receive absorbed CSF.
- A shunt catheter passes through it to reach the ventricle.
- It is relevant to CSF absorption and to surgery.
What it is
The dura mater is the tough, fibrous outer membrane surrounding the brain and spinal cord — the strongest of the three meninges. It lines the inside of the skull and forms folds that support the brain.
Understanding Dura mater
The dura contains the large venous sinuses (such as the superior sagittal sinus) into which CSF is absorbed through the arachnoid granulations. In surgery for hydrocephalus, the dura is opened to place a ventricular catheter or endoscope into the brain. Because it houses the venous channels involved in CSF absorption and forms the outer boundary of the CSF spaces, the dura is relevant both to normal CSF dynamics and to the surgical procedures used to treat hydrocephalus.
Why it matters
Understanding the dura mater helps families see how it relates to CSF absorption (via the venous sinuses it contains) and to surgery, since shunt and endoscopic procedures pass through it to reach the ventricles.
Common questions
What is the dura mater?
The tough outer membrane around the brain.
How does it relate to CSF?
It contains the venous channels that absorb CSF.
Is it involved in surgery?
Yes — catheters and endoscopes pass through it.
Bottom line
The dura mater is the brain's tough outer membrane, housing the venous channels for CSF absorption and traversed during surgery.
Browse all 265 Hydrocephalus definitions
Read the Hydrocephalus patient guides
Not sure which page you need? Put words to it with the symptom navigator