Cavernous sinus
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Vein: Cavernous sinus | ||
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Oblique section through the cavernous sinus. (Cavernous sinus labeled at upper right.) | ||
The sinuses at the base of the skull. (Cavernous sinus visible at center left, labeled in very small print.) | ||
Latin | sinus cavernosus | |
Gray's | subject #171 658 | |
Source | middle cerebral vein, sphenoparietal sinus, superior ophthalmic vein | |
Dorlands/Elsevier | s_12/12738628 |
The cavernous sinus (or lateral sellar compartment) is a large collection of thin-walled veins creating a cavity bordered by the sphenoid bone and the temporal bone of the skull.
Contents |
[edit] Contents
Each cavernous sinus (one for each hemisphere of the brain) contains the following:
- vertically, from superior to inferior
- oculomotor nerve (CN III)
- trochlear nerve (CN IV)
- ophthalmic nerve, the V1 branch of the trigeminal nerve (CN V)
- maxillary nerve, the V2 branch of CN V
- horizontally
- internal carotid artery (and sympathetic plexus). See also cavernous part of internal carotid artery.
- abducens nerve (CN VI)
One mnemonic for remembering the contents is "OTOM CAT"[1]
[edit] Clinical significance
It is the only anatomic location in the body in which an artery travels completely through a venous structure.
If the internal carotid artery ruptures within the cavernous sinus, an arteriovenous fistula is created. Cavernous sinus syndrome may result from mass effect from a tumor and cause ophthalmoplegia (from compression of the oculomotor nerve, trochlear nerve, and abducens nerve), ophthalmic sensory loss (from compression of the ophthalmic nerve), and maxillary sensory loss (from compression of the maxillary nerve).
[edit] Additional images
[edit] See also
[edit] References
[edit] External links
- MedEd at Loyola grossanatomy/h_n/cn/dvs/dvs3.htm
- SUNY Figs 28:03-06 - "Venous dural sinuses."
- MeSH Cavernous+Sinus
- Norman/Georgetown lesson2
- Atlas of anatomy at UMich n3a8p1
- Dictionary at eMedicine Cavernous+sinus
Veins of head and neck |
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exterior of the head and face: frontal - supraorbital - angular - facial - common facial (superior labial, inferior labial) - deep facial - superficial temporal - retromandibular - pterygoid - internal maxillary - posterior auricular - occipital
veins of the neck: jugular vein (external, anterior, internal, arch) - inferior petrosal sinus - lingual - pharyngeal - superior thyroid - middle thyroid - vertebral - deep cervical diploic/veins of the brain: cerebral - superior cerebral - middle cerebral - inferior cerebral - basal - internal cerebral - great cerebral - superior cerebellar - inferior cerebellar sinuses of the dura mater: superior sagittal - inferior sagittal - straight - transverse - sigmoid - petrosquamous - occipital - confluence - cavernous - sphenoparietal ophthalmic: vorticose veins - superior ophthalmic - nasofrontal - inferior ophthalmic - intercavernous sinuses - superior petrosal sinus - basilar - emissary |