Title:Dural Venous Sinuses: What We Need to Know
Volume: 16
Author(s): Changqing Zong, Xiang Yu, Jun Liu*Yawu Liu
Affiliation:
- Department of Imaging, Tianjin Union Medical Center, Tianjin,China
Keywords:
Dural venous sinuses, anatomy, variants, torcular herophili, magnetic resonance venography, cerebral venous sinus
thrombosis.
Abstract:
Background: The dural venous sinuses (DVS), in general, are frequently asymmetrical
and display far more anatomical variations than arterial systems. A comprehensive study of the anatomy
and variants of the DVS can help surgeons in the preoperative evaluation and management as
well as minimizing possible complications in the following treatment.
Methods: The current review was designed to provide a general overview of the normal anatomy
and notable variants of the cerebral venous system as surveyed from the available literature. The
pros and cons of different multimodal imaging methods for investigating DVS are also outlined. Finally,
cases of various pathological entities are illustrated from our clinical practice.
Conclusion: There are many anatomical variations and lesions involving the DVS. MRI examination
can provide essential information both on anatomical variation and morphological or functional
change of the offending DVS in most circumstances. Multimodal non-invasive venography protocols
may become a feasible alternative to the classical digital subtraction angiography and would
improve the diagnostic accuracy in future studies.
