intracranial cavity
- noun
- /ˌɪntrəˈkreɪniəl ˈkævɪti/
- Specialized
:
cavidad intracraneal
- Trauma to the head can lead to bleeding within the intracranial cavity, which is dangerous.
Examples
-
If the air within the intracranial cavity becomes trapped by a "ball-valve" or "inverted pop bottle" mechanism, increased intracranial pressure may cause mass effect and neurologic deterioration.
Academic text (2008) -
In our patient, however, the tumor appeared to have originated in the ethmoid sinus and then spread to the intracranial cavity.
Academic text (2006) -
Secondary orbital tumors result from direct tumor extension from adjacent structures, such as the eyelid, conjunctiva, globe, intracranial cavity, or paranasal sinuses.
Academic text (2008) -
The neurosurgeon carefully examined the intracranial cavity to diagnose the patient's condition.
-
An MRI revealed abnormal swelling in the intracranial cavity that required immediate attention.
Synonyms
1
5.3
Space inside the skull that holds the brain
Surface Forms
Morphology
The meaning is directly compositional: 'intracranial' means inside the cranium and 'cavity' means a hollow or space, so the phrase literally denotes the hollow/space within the skull. Although it's medical register, the semantic contribution of each constituent is literal and follows a standard noun-compound pattern, so a learner who knows the parts can readily infer the meaning.
Etymology
Intracranial cavity names a hollow cavity that is intracranial, meaning 'inside the skull', where the brain sits. So it means the 'space within the skull' that contains the brain.