Venous Anatomy of the Cavernous Sinus and Relevant Veins

Abstract

The cavernous sinus (CS) is a dural sinus located on each side of the pituitary fossa. Neoplastic and vascular lesions, such as arteriovenous fistulas, frequently involve the CS. This sinus plays a role as a crossroad receiving venous blood flow from the facial, orbital, meningeal, and neural venous tributaries. The relationship between these surrounding relevant veins and the CS, as well as the CS itself, varies anatomically. For safe and effective surgical and endovascular treatment of lesions involving the CS, knowledge of the anatomy and variations of the CS and the relevant surrounding veins is highly important. In this section, the anatomy and variations of the CS and the relevant surrounding veins are outlined.