Dural Venous Sinues

Mr. M. Banda
University of Zambia
 Veins of Head and Neck
 Facial vein
 Superficial temporal
vein
 Maxillary vein
 Retromandibular vein
 External jugular vein
 Anterior jugular vein
 Internal jugular vein
 Subclavian vein
 Facial Vein
Formed at medial angle of
eye by
the union of supraorbital
and supratrochlear veins.
It joins anterior division of
retromandibular vein
 Superficial temporal Vein
• Formed on the side
of the scalp.
• Enters parotid
gland.
• It joins maxillary
vein to form
Retromandibular
vein.
 Maxillary Vein
• Formed in the
Infratemporal
fossa from the
Pterygoid venous
plexus.
• It joins superficial
temporal vein to
form
Retromandibular
vein.
 Retromandibular Vein
 Formed by the union of
maxillary vein and superficial
temporal vein.
 Leaving parotid gland divides
into anterior branch and
posterior branch.
 Anterior branch joins facial
vein to form internal jugular
vein.
 Posterior branch joins
posterior auricular vein to
form external jugular vein.
 External jugular Vein
• Formed behind the angle
of jaw by the union of :
• Posterior branch of
retromandibular vein with
posterior auricular vein.
• It drains into subclavian
vein
• Tributaries: Posterior
external jugular,
Transverse cervical,
Suprascapular, Anterior
jugular
 Internal jugular Vein
• Receives blood from brain,
face and neck.
• Continuation of sigmoid
sinus and leave the skull
from jugular foramen
• Ends by joining subclavian
vein to form brachiocephalic
vein.
• Tributaries: Facial vein,
Pharyngeal vein, Lingual
vein, Superior thyroid vein,
Middle thyroid vein
 Cranial Meninges
• The meninges are
composed of three
membranous connective
tissue layers:
• Dura mater: tough, thick
external fibrous layer.
• Arachnoid mater: thin
intermediate layer.
• Pia mater: delicate internal
layer
 Dura Venous Sinuses
• The dura mater is conventionally described as two
layers: the endosteal layer and the meningeal layer.
These are closely united except along certain lines,
where they separate to form venous sinuses.

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 Dural Infoldings or Reflections
• The dural infoldings divide the cranial cavity into
compartments, forming partial partitions (dural septa) between
certain parts of the brain and providing support for other parts.

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 Falx Cerebri
• Sickle-shaped fold of dura
mater that lies in the
midline
• The superior sagittal sinus
runs in its upper fixed
margin
• The inferior sagittal sinus
runs in its lower concave
free margin
• The straight sinus runs
along its attachment to the
tentorium cerebelli
 Tentorium Cerebelli
• Crescent-shaped fold of
dura mater that roofs over
the posterior cranial fossa
• It covers the upper surface
of the cerebellum and
supports the occipital lobes
of the cerebral
hemispheres
• Anteriorly is a gap, the
tentorial notch, for the
passage of the
 Falx Cerebelli
• Small and sickle-shaped fold of dura mater that is
attached to the internal occipital crest and projects
forward between the two cerebellar hemispheres
• Its posterior fixed margin contains the occipital
sinus.
 Diaphragma sellae
• The diaphragma sellae is a
small circular fold of dura
mater that forms the roof
for the sella turcica.
• A small opening in its center
allows passage of the stalk
of the pituitary gland
 Dural Venous Sinuses
• Blood-filled spaces situated between the layers of
the dura mater
• they are lined by endothelium
• Their walls are thick and composed of fibrous
tissue; they have no muscular tissue.
• The sinuses have no valves.
• Absorb the C.S.F through the arachnoid
granulation tissue & Receive blood from
valveless emissary veins
Dura Venous Sinuses
 Classification of Dural sinuses
The venous sinuses are classified into paired and unpaired groups:

• Unpaired sinuses:
1. Superior sagittal sinus
2. Inferior sagittal sinus
3. Straight sinus
4. Occipital sinus
5. Anterior intercavernous sinus
6. Posterior intercavernous sinus
7. Basilar venous plexus
 Dura Venous Sinuses
• Paired sinuses:
1. Transverse sinuses
2. Sigmoid sinuses
3. Cavernous sinuses
4. Superior petrosal sinuses
5. Inferior petrosal sinuses
6. Spheno-parietal sinuses
7. Petro-squamous sinuses
8. Middle meningeal veins
 Superior sagittal sinus…

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 Applied anatomy:

Thrombosis of the
superior sagittal sinus
may take place due to
spread of infection
from the nose, scalp
and diploic tissue

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 The inferior sagittal sinus
• The inferior sagittal sinus lies in the free lower margin of the
falx cerebri.
• It runs backward and joins the great cerebral vein to form the
straight sinus. It receives cerebral veins from the medial surface
of the cerebral hemisphere

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 The straight sinus
• The straight sinus lies
at the junction of the
falx cerebri with the
tentorium cerebelli.
• Formed by the union of
the inferior sagittal
sinus with the great
cerebral vein, it drains
into the transverse sinus

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 The right transverse sinus
• Begins at the confluence of sinuses
• Each sinus lies in the lateral attached margin of the tentorium
cerebelli, and they end on each side by becoming the sigmoid sinus

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 The sigmoid sinuses
• The sigmoid sinuses are a
direct continuation of the
transverse sinuses.
• Each sinus turns
downward behind the
mastoid antrum of the
temporal bone
• leaves the skull through the
jugular foramen to become
the internal jugular vein

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 Applied anatomy:
 Thrombosis
of sigmoid
sinus may
take place
from the
infected
middle ear or
mastoid
antrum

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 The occipital sinus
• The occipital sinus lies in the attached margin of the
falx cerebelli. It communicates with the vertebral veins
through the foramen magnum and the transverse sinuses

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 Cavernous Sinus
• Lies on the lateral side of the
body of the sphenoid bone
• Anteriorly, the sinus receives
the inferior ophthalmic vein
• The sinus drains posteriorly into
the transverse sinus through
the superior petrosal sinus
• Intercavernous sinuses connect
the two cavernous sinuses
through the sella turcica

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 Cavernous Sinus
• Important Structures
Associated With the
Cavernous Sinuses :The
internal carotid artery and
the CN VI, which travel
through it
• In the lateral wall, the third
and fourth cranial nerves,
and the ophthalmic and
maxillary divisions of the
fifth cranial nerve.
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Anterior and posterior intercavernous sinus:
Each sinus traverse respectively along the anterior and posterior
attached margin of diaphragma sellae and connects the
cavernous sinus of both side

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Basillar venous plexus:
It is a plexiform venous network and lies on the clivus of the
skull

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Applied anatomy:
- The veins of the face, which are connected with the cavernous sinus via
the facial vein and inferior ophthalmic vein, and are an important route
for the spread of infection from the face
- The superior and inferior petrosal sinuses, which run along the upper
and lower borders of the petrous part of the temporal bone

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Superior petrosal sinus sinus:

 Conveys the blood from the cavernous sinus to the transverse

sinuses
 It is situated in lateral attached border of tentorium cerebelli

Tributaries:
 Inferior cerebral veins
 Some cerebellar veins
 Veins from the tympanic cavity

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Inferior petrosal sinus:

Drains the blood from cavernous sinus into the superior bulb of
internal jugular vein
Tributaries:
 Labyrinthine veins from
the cochlear cannaliculi
and aqueduct of vestibule
 Veins from the medulla,
pons and cerebellum

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 The End
Thank you!