| Dural venous sinuses | |
|---|---|
 Illustration of the dural venous sinuses | |
 Dural venous sinuses | |
| Details | |
| Identifiers | |
| Latin | sinus durae matris |
| MeSH | D003392 |
| TA98 | A12.3.05.101 |
| TA2 | 4846 |
| FMA | 76590 |
| Anatomical terminology | |
Thedural venous sinuses (also calleddural sinuses,cerebral sinuses, orcranial sinuses) arevenoussinuses (channels) found between theperiosteal andmeningeal layers ofdura mater in thebrain.[1][2] They receiveblood from thecerebral veins, andcerebrospinal fluid (CSF) from thesubarachnoid space viaarachnoid granulations. They mainly empty into theinternal jugular vein.[2]Cranialvenous sinuses communicate with veins outside the skull throughemissary veins. These communications help to keep the pressure of blood in the sinuses constant.
The major dural venous sinuses included the superior sagittal sinus, inferior sagittal sinus, transverse sinus, straight sinus, sigmoid sinus and cavernous sinus. These sinuses play a crucial role in cerebral venous drainage. A dural venous sinus, in human anatomy, is any of the channels of a branching complex sinus network that lies between layers of the dura mater, the outermost covering of the brain, and functions to collect oxygen-depleted blood. Unlike veins, these sinuses possess no muscular coat.
| Name | Drains to |
|---|---|
| Anterior | |
| Sphenoparietal sinuses | Cavernous sinuses |
| Cavernous sinus | Superior and inferior petrosal sinuses |
| Midline | |
| Superior sagittal sinus | Typically becomes right transverse sinus or confluence of sinuses |
| Inferior sagittal sinus | Straight sinus |
| Straight sinus | Typically becomes left transverse sinus or confluence of sinuses |
| Posterior | |
| Occipital sinus | Confluence of sinuses |
| Confluence of sinuses | Right and left transverse sinuses |
| Lateral | |
| Superior petrosal sinus | Transverse sinuses |
| Transverse sinuses | Sigmoid sinus |
| Inferior petrosal sinus | Internal jugular vein |
| Sigmoid sinuses | Internal jugular vein |
Paired venous sinus[3]
The walls of the dural venous sinuses are composed ofdura mater lined withendothelium, a specialized layer offlattened cells found inblood andlymph vessels. They differ from other blood vessels in that they lack a full set of vessel layers (e.g.tunica media) characteristic ofarteries andveins. They also lack valves (in veins; with exception of materno-fetal blood circulation i.e. placental artery and pulmonary arteries both of which carry deoxygenated blood).[citation needed]
The sinuses can be injured by trauma in which damage to thedura mater, may result inblood clot formation (thrombosis) within the dural sinuses. Other common causes ofdural sinus thrombosis include tracking of infection through theophthalmic vein inorbital cellulitis. While rare, dural sinus thrombosis may lead tohemorrhagicinfarction orcerebral edema with serious consequences includingepilepsy, neurological deficits, or death.[4]
