Definition of Intracranial
Intracranial: Within the cranium, the bony dome that houses and protects the brain.
An intracranial hemorrhage is bleeding within the cranium due, for example, to a stroke or leakage of blood from an aneurysm in the brain. The intracranial pressure is the pressure on brain and the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) within the cranium.
Julius Caesar and his fellow Romans called the skull the "cranium" Today as a rule the "cranium" is taken to be the skull minus the mandible (the jaw bone).
Source: MedTerms™ Medical Dictionaryhttp://www.medterms.com/script/main/art.asp?articlekey=13759
Last Editorial Review: 2/16/2001
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