The septum pellucidum is a thin, triangular, vertical double membrane separating the anterior horns of the left and right lateral ventricles of the brain.
It runs as a sheet from the corpus callosum down to the fornix.
The septum pellucidum is located in the septal area in the midline of the brain between the two cerebral hemispheres.
The septal area is also the location of the septal nuclei.
It is attached to the lower part of the corpus callosum, the large collection of nerve fibers that connect the two cerebral hemispheres.
It is attached to the front forward part of the fornix.
The lateral ventricles sit on either side of the septum.
The septum pellucidum has two layers or laminae of both white and gray matter.
During fetal development, there is a space between the two laminae called the cave of septum pellucidum.
Ninety percent of cases the cave of septum pellucidum disappears during infancy.
The cave of septum pellucidum has been loosely associated with schizophrenia, post-traumatic stress disorder, traumatic brain injury, as well as with antisocial personality disorder.
Cave of septum pellucidumis is one of the distinguishing features of individuals displaying symptoms of dementia pugilistica.
Absence of the septum pellucidum is associated with septo-optic dysplasia, characterized by abnormal development of the optic disk and pituitary deficiencies: vision difficulties, low muscle tone, hormonal problems, seizures, intellectual problems, and jaundice at birth.