title: The pia mater: a comprehensive review of literature.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The pia mater has received less attention in the literature compared to the dura and arachnoid maters. However, its presence as a direct covering of the nervous system and direct relation to the blood vessels gives it a special importance in neurosurgery.
  
  
  METHODS
  A comprehensive review of the literature was conducted to study all that we could find relating to the pia mater, including history, macro- and microanatomy, embryology, and a full description of the related structures.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The pia mater has an important anatomic position, rich history, complicated histology and embryology, and a significant contribution to a number of other structures that may stabilize and protect the nervous system.
authors: Division of Neurological Surgery, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, USA.
authors: Nimer
authors: N
authors: Adeeb
authors: Martin M
authors: MM
authors: Mortazavi
authors: Aman
authors: A
authors: Deep
authors: Christoph J
authors: CJ
authors: Griessenauer
authors: Koichi
authors: K
authors: Watanabe
authors: Mohammadali M
authors: MM
authors: Shoja
authors: Marios
authors: M
authors: Loukas
authors: R Shane
authors: RS
authors: Tubbs
mesh_terms: D006801:Humans; D010841:Pia Mater / Q000033:anatomy & histology*
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