The straight sinus usually receives blood from the inferior sagittal sinus, cerebral veins (from the posterior part of the cerebral hemispheres), the great cerebral vein (draining deep areas of the cerebral hemispheres), superior cerebellar veins, and veins from the falx cerebri.
Confluence of sinuses, transverse and
The superior sagittal and straight sinuses, and the occipital sinus (in the falx cerebelli) empty into the confluence of sinuses, which is a dilated space at the internal occipital protuberance (Fig. 8.44) and is drained by the right and left transverse sinuses.
The paired transverse sinuses extend in horizontal directions from the confluence of sinuses where the tentorium cerebelli joins the lateral and posterior walls of the cranial cavity.
The right transverse sinus usually receives blood from the superior sagittal sinus and the left transverse sinus usually receives blood from the straight sinus.
The transverse sinuses also receive blood from the superior petrosal sinus, veins from the inferior parts of the cerebral hemispheres and the cerebellum, and diploic and emissary veins.
As the transverse sinuses leave the surface of the occipital bone, they become the sigmoid sinuses (Fig. 8.44), which turn inferiorly, grooving the parietal, temporal, and occipital bones, before ending at the beginning of the internal jugular veins. The sigmoid sinuses also receive blood from cerebral, cerebellar, diploic, and emissary veins.
The paired cavernous sinuses are against the lateral aspect of the body of the sphenoid bone on either side of the sella turcica (Figs. 8.45 and 8.46). They are of great clinical importance because of their connections and the structures that pass through them.
The cavernous sinuses receive blood not only from cerebral veins but also from the ophthalmic veins (from the orbit) and emissary veins (from the pterygoid plexus of veins in the infratemporal fossa). These connections provide pathways for infections to pass from extracranial sites into intracranial locations. In addition, because structures pass through the cavernous sinuses and are located in the walls of these sinuses they are vulnerable to injury due to inflammation.
Structures passing through each cavernous sinus are: the internal carotid artery, and the abducent nerve [VI].
Structures in the lateral wall of each cavernous sinus are, from superior to inferior: the oculomotor nerve [III], the trochlear nerve [IV], the ophthalmic nerve [V1], and the maxillary nerve [V2].
Connecting the right and left cavernous sinuses are the intercavernous sinuses on the anterior and posterior sides of the pituitary stalk (Fig. 8.44).
Sphenoparietal sinuses drain into the anterior ends of each cavernous sinus. These small sinuses are along the inferior surface of the lesser wings of the sphenoid and receive blood from the diploic and meningeal veins.
The superior petrosal sinuses drain the cavernous sinuses into the transverse sinuses. Each superior petrosal sinus begins at the posterior end of the cavernous sinus, passes posterolaterally along the superior margin of the petrous part of each temporal bone, and connects to the transverse sinus (Fig. 8.44). The superior petrosal sinuses also receive cerebral and cerebellar veins.
The inferior petrosal sinuses also begin at the posterior ends of the cavernous sinuses. These bilateral sinuses pass posteroinferiorly in a groove between the petrous part of the temporal bone and the basal part of the occipital bone, ending in the internal jugular veins. They assist in draining the cavernous sinuses and also receive blood from cerebellar veins and veins from the internal ear and brainstem.