Main Entry: Meckel's cave

Function: noun

: a space beneath the dura mater containing the trigeminal ganglion—called also Meckel's cavity

Meckel, Johann Friedrich, the Elder (1724–1774), German anatomist. Meckel was an anatomist known for his considerable powers of observation and skill in preparing anatomical specimens. In 1748 he published a treatise in which he described the trigeminal nerve. This treatise also contained his description of the cavity containing the trigeminal ganglion, the space now known as Meckel's cave. A preliminary description of the ganglion now known as the pterygopalatine ganglion was included in this treatise, but a fuller treatment was presented the following year.