Objectives

Objectives of the class is to

Describe the dura mater , its different folds &
their functions
Define the Dural venous sinuses,their
classification,function & sites.
Describe the important dural venous sinuses.

Cranial cavity

Contains the brain with its coverings

Coverings or meninges
Dura, arachnoid and pia maters.
Dura - outermost
- Has an Outer Endosteal [periosteum]
- - Inner Meningeal layer-continuous with
dura mater of spinal dura.
- forms certain folds
Falx cerebri, tentorium cerebelli, falx
cerebelli,
diaphragma sellae.

Falx cerebri

Sickle shaped ,Lies in the logitudinal fissure of

cerebrum.
Convex attached border is fixed to the lips of sagittal
sulcus of frontal,parietal & occipital bones.
Anterior end narrow attached to crista galli
Psteriorly attached to tentorium cerebelli
Contains-superior sagittal sinus in the upper
border,inferior sagittal sinus in the concave lower
border and straight sinus at the junction of falx
cerebri and tentorium cerebelli

Falx cerebri

Thin &narrow in its anterior part

Broad & thick posteriorly
Concave inferior border is related to corpus
callosum
On each side related to medial surface of
cerebrum
Function-supprts the cerebrum

Falx cerebri

Tentorium cerebelli

Forms the Partial roof of posterior cranial fossa

Convex attached border is fixed to the posterior clinoid
process,upper border of petrous part of temporal bone
and to the lips of the transverse sulcus
Anterior end of Concave free border is fixed to the
anterior clinoid process
Superiorly gives attachment to falx cerebri and inferiorly
to falx cerebelli
Separates the cerebellum from cerebrum
Contains superior petrosal,transverse and straight sinuses

At its free margin superior &

inferior layers are continuous

Between the free border & the dorsum sellae is

tentorial notch contains the midbrain
From the upper border of the petrous temporal
the superior layer continues as meningeal layer
of middle cranial foss,inferior layer ontinues
as meningeal layer of posterior cranial foss.
At the trigeminal impression inferior layer
extends to the middle cranial fossa to enclose
the trigeminal gangion-Trigeminal cave.

Tentorium cerebelli

Falx cerebelli

Trianglar fold attached

to the inferior surface
of tentorium and to the
internal occipital crest.
Projects into the
posterior cerebellar
notch
Contains the occipital
sinus in its attached
border

Diaphragma sellae

Circular fold of dura mater, forms the roof of

the hypophysial fossa.
Its central opening transmits the infundibulum
Inferiorly related to pituitary and superiorly
related to optic chiasma

Diaphragma sellae

DURAL VENOUS SINUSES

Venous channels between the two layers of dura mater.

No valves
No muscular wall
Lined by endothelium
The dural venous sinuses (also called dural sinuses,
cerebral sinuses, or cranial sinuses) are venous
channels found between layers of dura mater in the
brain.They receive blood from internal and external
veins of the brain, receive cerebrospinal fluid (CSF)
from the subarachnoid space, and ultimately empty
into the internal jugular vein.

Clinical relevance

The sinuses can be injured by trauma. Damage

to the dura mater, which may be caused by
skull fracture, may result blood clot formation
(thrombosis) within the dural sinuses.
While rare, dural sinus thrombosis may lead
to hemorrhagic infarction with serious
consequences including epilepsy, neurological
deficits, or death.

Classification of sinuses
Paired sinuses

Cavernous
Intercavernous
Sphenoparietal
Superior petrosal
Inferior petrosal
Transverse
Sigmoid.
Middle meningeal veins

Unpaired sinuses

Superior sagittal
Inferior sagittal
Straight
Occipital sinus
Basilar venous plexus

Dural venous sinuses

Name

Drains to

Inferior sagittal sinus

Straight sinus

Superior sagittal sinus

Confluence of the sinuses-Rt transverse

Straight sinus

Confluence of the sinuses-left transverse

Occipital sinus
Sphenoparietal sinus
Cavernous sinus

Confluence of the sinuses

Cavernous sinus
Transverse sinus& IJV

Confluence of sinuses

Transverse sinuses

Transverse sinuses

Sigmoid sinus

Superior petrosal sinus

Transverse sinus

Inferior petrosal sinus

Internal jugular vein

Sigmoid sinuses

Internal jugular vein

Superior sagital sinus

Inferior sagittal sinus

Great cerebral vein

Superior petrosal
sinus

Straight sinus

Inferior
petrosal sinus
Transverse sinus
Occipital sinus

Sigmoid sinus

Cavernous sinus

Very important sinus in the middle cranial fossa on

either side of body of sphenoid
Has cave like spaces separated by trabeculae, filled
with blood
Extent-Extends from the superior orbital fissure to the
apex of petrous temporal bone.
Formation-Formed by the union of superior and
inferior ophthalmic veins
Termination-Terminates by dividing into superior and
inferior petrosal sinuses.
Size-1cm wide and 2cm length

Cavernous sinus

Relations of the sinus

Lateral oculomotor,trochlear,ophthalmic and maxillary

nerves lie in its lateral wall from above down separated from
the blood by the endothelium,uncus
MedialBody of sphenoid with sphenoidal air sinus,pituitary
and diaphragma sellae
SuperiorOptic tract,internal carotid artery, anterior
perforated substance
Anterior-Medial part of SOF
Posteriortrigeminal ganglion,apex of petrous temporal
bone.
Inferior:-foramen lacrum,junction of body & greater wing of
sphenoid.

Tributaries of the sinus

Superior ophthalmic vein

Inferior ophthalmic vein
Sphenoparietal sinus
Inferior cerebral veins
Superficial middle cerebral vein
Sometimes-central vein of retina and frontal
trunk of middle meningeal vein.

Structures within the sinus

Internal carotid artery surrounded by a plexus

of veins and sympathetic plexus lies on the
side of the body of sphenoid bone(in the
carotid groove)
Abducent nerve inferolateral to the artery
They are seperated from the blood of the sinus
by endothelium.

Communications

1.With opposite sinus through intercavernous sinus

&basilar venous plexus.
2.With facial vein through the superior ophthalmic
vein .
3.With transvere sinus through superior petrosal
sinus.
4.With pterygoid venous plexus through the emissary
veins,
5.With IJV through inferior petrosal sinus

Factors maintaining the blood flow

through the sinus

1.Gravity
2.position of the head
3.pulsation of ICA

Development

From primary head vein

Applied

Infections from dangerous area of face can

spread to the sinus leading to its thrombosis
Infections from paranasal air sinuses can
spread to the sinus.
Rapture of internal carotid artery within the
sinus leads to arteriovenous communicationsPulsating tumours of orbit

Superior sagittal sinus

An unpaired sinus
Site Along the convex attached border of the falx
cerebri.
Formation By the union of small meningeal veins in
the anterior part of the falx cerebri.Sometimes a vein
from nose through patent foramen cecum.
Course-Extends upwards & backwards & then
downwards along the attached border of the falx
cerebri related to sagittal sulcus.
Termination- ends at the confluence of sinuses which
usually continues as right transverse sinus.

Dural venous sinuses

Increases in size from before back

Triangular on section-base upwards

Lined by endothelium,traversed by trabeculae.
Outward extensions called Lacunae-3pairsfrontal,parietal & occipital pair.
Arachnoid granulations project into these
lacunae.(Microscopic projections of
subarachnoid space are arachnoid villimacroscopic enlargements of these villi are
granulations).

Tributaries

Meningeal veins-from dura

Diploic veins from bones
Parietal emissary veins-from scalp
Superior cerebral veins-from brin
A vein from the nose if foramen cecum is
patent.

confluence of sinuses

Dilatation at the termination of superior

sagittal sinus on the right side of internal
occipital prtuberance.
Occipital sinus opens into it.
Continues usually as rt .transverse sinus
Connected to the opposite transverse sinus by
a venous channel.

Tributaries

Applied

Infections of scalp ,nose or from diploe can

spread to the sinus.
Leads to rise in intra cranial
tension,delirium,convulsion,paraplegia.
Impaired CSF drainage can lead to
hydrocephalus .(otitis hydrocephalus )

Other sinuses

The superior sagittal sinus is found in the upper

border of the falx cerebri and begins at the crista
galli. The superior sagittal sinus is fed by blood from
the superior cerebrals vein and ends at the confluence
of sinuses near the internal occipital protuberance.
The inferior sagittal sinus is located in the lower free
border of the falx cerebri between the two cerebral
hemispheres. It begins anteriorly and ends with its
junction with straight sinus

Dural venous sinuses

The straight sinus originates with the union of the

great cerebral vein and inferior sagittal sinus. It runs
posteriorly in the junction between the falx cerebelli
and tentorium cerebelli to become continuous with
one of the transverse sinuses (most commonly the
left).
sphenoparietal sinuses which are located underneath
the free edges of the lesser wings of the sphenoid
bone drain into cavernous sinuses.

Dural venous sinuses

The intercavernous sinuses-Ant.& post.- provide a

communication between the cavernous sinuses. They
are located in the diaphragma sellae which covers the
hypophyseal fossa and surrounds the hypophyseal
stalk.
The superior petrosal sinuses are located in the edge
of the tentorium cerebelli on the ridge of petrous part
of the temporal bone. They drains into the transverse
sinuses.

Dural venous sinuses

The inferior petrosal sinuses are found at the base of the

petrous part of the temporal bone in the posterior cranial
fossae where they empty into the internal jugular vein.
The basilar sinus interconnects with inferior petrosal sinuses
and the internal vertebral plexus.
The occipital sinus is located in the posterior attached border
of the falx cerebelli in relation to the internal occipital crest. It
communicates superiorly with confluence of sinuses and
inferiorly with the internal vertebral plexus.

Transverse sinuses

The transverse sinuses Rt. Sinus extends laterally

from the confluence of sinuses in the tentorium
cerebelli.The left sinus is the contiuation of straight
sinus. The transverse sinuses travel laterally and
forwards along the transverse sulcus along the
attached border of te tentorium cerebelli.It leaves the
tentorium &continues ventrally to become the
sigmoid sinuses of each side.
Trbutaries-superior petrosal sinus,inferior cerebral
veins,diploic veins,cerebellar veins &inferior
anastomotic vein

Sigmoid sinuses

The sigmoid sinuses bend into an S-shaped

curve and continue into the internal jugular
vein after passing through the jugular
foramen. They run in the sigmoid sulci related
to mastoid antrum anteriorly.
Tributaries-Mastoid & condylar emissay veins
& internal auditory veins.

Dural venous sinuses

Dural venous sinuses