American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology (ABPN) Practice Exam 2025 - Free ABPN Practice Questions and Study Guide

The middle meningeal artery is most commonly associated with the development of an epidural hematoma due to its anatomical location and its vulnerability during head trauma. This artery branches off the maxillary artery and enters the skull through the foramen spinosum, lying beneath the inner surface of the skull. When there is a skull fracture, particularly at the temporal region, it can lacerate the middle meningeal artery, leading to a rapid accumulation of blood between the skull and the dura mater.

Epidural hematomas typically present with a characteristic "lens-shaped" appearance on imaging, which is due to the accumulation of blood from the torn artery. The bleeding is often contained outerly by the skull and innerly by the dura, resulting in the formation of the hematoma.

The other options involve different types of hematomas or tumors. Meningeal bridging veins are usually implicated in subdural hematomas rather than epidural hematomas due to their location and the mechanism of injury involved. The cavernous sinus and basilar artery are less commonly related to epidural hematomas and are more associated with other types of intracranial injuries or vascular complications. Therefore, the middle meningeal artery is the primary vessel linked to this critical