Skip to main content
Glite Dictionary
cisternal

cisternal

8.6
Relating to a part of the body or cell that holds fluid
  • adjective
  • /sɪˈstɜrnəl/
  • Specialized
: cisternal
  • The doctor explained that the cisternal space is important for cerebrospinal fluid circulation.

Examples

  • MRI provides better visualization of cystic lesions in ventricular and cisternal NCC compared to CT.

    Academic text (2016)

  • Researchers studied the cisternal structure of the cells to understand their function better.

  • CT imaging is a useful modality for the diagnosis of parenchymal neurocysticercosis but shows poor results while diagnosing ventricular and cisternal neurocysticercosis.

    Academic text (2016)

  • In anatomical studies, the cisternal areas help illustrate the flow of fluids in the brain.

Surface Forms

cisternal positive

Morphology

cisternal = cistern (transparent) = cistern + al

The word is a regular adjective formed from the noun 'cistern' with the suffix '-al', and its meaning is directly related to that base.

Etymology

The word cisternal comes from the word cistern, which means a water 'tank', and the ending -al means 'related to'. So in anatomy and in cells, something cisternal is like a small tank or box that holds fluid, which is why the word describes spaces that contain liquid.