A retrospective anatomical study of the cerebral dural venous sinus outflow pathways utilizing three-dimensional rotational venography

OBJECTIVE: Proper blood flow is essential for the maintenance of homeostasis for the human cerebrum. The dural venous sinuses comprise the dominant cerebral venous outflow path. Understanding the spatial configuration of the dural venous sinuses can provide valuable insight into several pathological conditions. Previously, only two-dimensional or cadaveric data have been used to understand cerebral outflow. For the first time, we applied three-dimensional rotational venography (3D-RV) to study and provide detailed quantitative morphological measurements of the terminal cerebral venous sinus system in several pathological states. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: Patients who underwent a 3D-RV procedure were identified by reviewing our local institution's endovascular database. Patients with high-quality angiographic images were selected. Eighteen patients were included (37.1 ± 3.8 years). Sinuses were divided into four segments, starting at the torcula and ending at the internal jugular vein. Segment length, 3D displacement, and cross-sectional area were measured. RESULTS: The transverse sinus (60.2 mm) was the longest segment, followed by the sigmoid sinus (55.1 mm). Cross-sectional areas were smallest at the middle of the transverse sinus (21.3 mm(2)) but increased at the sigmoid sinus (33.5 mm(2)) and at the jugular bulb (49.7 mm(2)). The only variation in displacements of venous flow was at the sigmoid-jugular junction, where 55% of cases had lateral displacements versus 45% medial, and 78% superior versus 22% inferior. CONCLUSIONS: We describe the terminal venous sinus system of patients with a variety of diagnoses, detailing segment length, cross-sectional area, and 3D path.