Variations in the Intracranial Venous System

Abstract

The intention of this chapter is to separate the dural venous sinuses from the deep and superficial cerebral veins, but this distinction can be difficult in some instances because of the close proximity of deep and superficial systems from the dural sinuses (e.g., the sphenoparietal sinus and superficial middle cerebral vein). It is important to keep in mind that the appearance of the deep and superficial cerebral veins and the dural venous sinuses can vary much more widely than the appearance of the arteries. Therefore, a brief synopsis of the intracranial venous anatomy is provided in the following paragraphs.