Abstract
The present study evaluated the venous anatomy of the craniocervical junction, focusing on the suboccipital cavernous sinus (SCS), a vertebral venous plexus surrounding the horizontal portion of the vertebral artery at the skull base. MR imaging was reviewed to clarify the venous anatomy of the SCS in 33 patients. Multiplanar reconstruction MR images were obtained using contrast-enhanced three-dimensional fast spoiled gradient–recalled acquisition in the steady state (3-D fast SPGR) with fat suppression. Connections with the SCS were evaluated for the following venous structures: anterior condylar vein (ACV); posterior condylar vein (PCV); lateral condylar vein (LCV); vertebral artery venous plexus (VAVP); and anterior internal vertebral venous plexus (AVVP). The SCS connected with the ACV superomedially, with the VAVP inferolaterally, and with the AVVP medially. The LCV connected with the external orifice of the ACV and superoanterior aspect of the SCS. The PCV connected with the posteromedial aspect of the jugular bulb and superoposterior aspect of the SCS. The findings of craniocervical junction venography performed in eight patients corresponded with those on MR imaging, other than with regard to the PCV. Contrast-enhanced 3-D fast SPGR allows visualization of the detailed anatomy of these venous structures, and this technique facilitates interventions and description of pathologies occurring in this area.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Epstein HM, Linde HW, Crampton AR, Ciric IS, Eckenhoff JE (1970) The vertebral venous plexus as a major cerebral venous outflow tract. Anesthesiology 32:332–337
Eckenhoff JE (1970) The physiologic significance of the vertebral venous plexus. Surg Gynecol Obstet 131:72–78
Valdueza JM, von Munster T, Hoffman O, Schreiber S, Einhaupl KM (2000) Postural dependency of the cerebral venous outflow. Lancet 355:200–201
Arnautovic KI, Al-Mefty O, Pait TG, Krisht AF, Husain MM (1997) The suboccipital cavernous sinus. J Neurosurg 86:252–262
Sakuma I, Takahashi S, Ishiyama K, Tomura N, Watarai J, Yanagisawa T, Mizoi K (2004) Multiple dural arteriovenous fistulas developing after total removal of parasagittal meningioma: a case successfully treated with transvenous embolization. Clin Radiol Extra 59:3–7
McDougall CG, Halbach VV, Dowd CF, Higashida RT, Larsen DW, Hieshima GB (1997) Dural arteriovenous fistulas of the marginal sinus. AJNR Am J Neuroradiol 18:1565–1572
Ernst R, Bulas R, Tomsick T, Loveren HV, Aziz KA (1999) Three cases of dural arteriovenous fistula of the anterior condylar vein within the hypoglossal canal. AJNR Am J Neuroradiol 20:2016–2020
Terada T, Kinoshita Y, Yokote M et al (1996) Clinical use of mechanical detachable coils for dural arteriovenous fistula. AJNR Am J Neuroradiol 17:1343–1348
Mascalchi M, Scazzeri F, Prosetti D, Ferrito G, Salvi F, Quilici N (1996) Dural arteriovenous fistula at the craniocervical junction with perimedullary venous drainage. AJNR Am J Neuroradiol 17:1137–1141
Weissman JL (1994) Condylar canal vein: unfamiliar normal structure as seen at CT and MR imaging. Radiology 190:81–84
Ginsberg LE (1994) The posterior condylar canal. AJNR Am J Neuroradiol 15:969–972
Miyazawa K, Shiga Y, Hasegawa T et al (2003) CSF hypovolemia vs intracranial hypotension in “spontaneous intracranial hypotension syndrome”. Neurology 60: 941–947
San Millan Ruiz D, Gailloud P, Rufenacht DA, Delavelle J, Henry F, Fasel JHD (2002) The craniocervical venous system in relation to cerebral venous drainage. AJNR Am J Neuroradiol 23:1500–1508
Federative Committee on Anatomical Terminology (FCAT) (1998) Terminologia Anatomica. Thieme, Stuttgart
Miller DL, Doppman JL, Chang R (1993) Anatomy of the junction of the inferior petrosal sinus and the internal jugular vein. AJNR Am J Neuroradiol 14:1075–1083
Okudera T, Huang YP, Ohta T et al (1994) Development of posterior fossa dural sinuses, emissary veins, and jugular bulb: morphological and radiologic study. AJNR Am J Neuroradiol 15:1871–1883
Caruso RD, Rosenbaum AE, Chang JK, Joy SE (1999) Craniocervical junction venous anatomy on enhanced MR images: the suboccipital cavernous sinus. AJNR Am J Neuroradiol 20:1127–1131
Caruso RD, Smith MV, Chang JK, Wasenko JJ, Rosenbaum AE (1998) Giant cervical epidural veins after craniectomy for head trauma. AJNR Am J Neuroradiol 19:903–906
Katsuta T, Rhoton AL Jr, Matsushima T (1997) The jugular foramen: microsurgical anatomy and operative approaches. Neurosurgery 41:149–202
Katsuta T, Matsushima T, Fukui M, Rhoton AL Jr (1998) Microsurgical anatomy of the jugular foramen. In: Kawase T (ed) Surgical anatomy for microneurosurgery X (in Japanese). Scimed Publications, Tokyo, pp 103–111
Teramoto A, Yoshida Y, Sanno N, Nemoto S (1998) Cavernous sinus sampling in patients with adrenocorticotrophic hormone-dependent Cushing’s syndrome with emphasis on inter- and intracavernous adrenocorticotrophic hormone gradients. J Neurosurg 89:762–768
Halbach VV, Higashida RT, Hieshima GB, Hardin CW, Prigram H (1989) Transvenous embolization of dural fistulas involving the cavernous sinus. AJNR Am J Neuroradiol 10: 377–383
Yamashita K, Taki W et al (1993) Transvenous embolization of dural caroticocavernous fistulae: technical considerations. Neuroradiology 35:475–479
Shiu PC, Hanafee WN, Wilson GH, Rand RW (1968) Cavernous sinus venography. Am J Roentgenol 104:57–62
Gailloud P, Fasel JHD, Muster M, Desarzens F, Ruefenacht DA (1997) Termination of the inferior petrosal sinus: an anatomical variant. Clinical Anatomy 10:92–96
S. Takahashi, N. Tomura, K. Kato et al (2000) Anatomy of the junction of the inferior petrosal sinus and the internal jugular vein: evaluation with MR imaging. European Congress of Radiology, Vienna (abstract)
Takahashi S, Tomura N, Kato K et al (2001) Anatomy of the junction of the inferior petrosal sinus and the internal jugular vein: evaluation with MR imaging (in Japanese). Akita J Med 27:179–190
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Takahashi, S., Sakuma, I., Omachi, K. et al. Craniocervical junction venous anatomy around the suboccipital cavernous sinus: evaluation by MR imaging. Eur Radiol 15, 1694–1700 (2005). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00330-004-2597-5
Received:
Revised:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00330-004-2597-5