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Cisterns, Sinuses, & Veins
CISTERNS
Basal Cisterns
- "Basal Cisterns" is the collective term for the subarachnoid cisterns at the base of the brain.
Individual Cisterns
- Suprasellar cistern (aka chiasmatic cistern) - above the sella turcica.
- Optic chiasm lies within this cistern.
- Interpeduncular cistern - in front of the midbrain, in between the cerebral peduncles.
- Ambient cistern - along the lateral midbrain.
- Quadrigeminal cistern (aka cistern of the great vein) - behind the midbrain.
- Contains the great cerebral vein (aka vein of Galen).
- Cistern of the velum interpositum - in between the thalamus and the splenium of the corpus callosum.
- Actually lies between the tela choroidea that lines the inferior surface of the fornix and splenium of the corpus callosum and the superior surface of the third ventricle and thalamus.
- Contains the internal cerebral veins.
- Prepontine cistern - in front of the pons.
- Pontocerebellar cistern - lateral to the pons.
- Premedullary cistern - in front of the medulla.
- Lateral cerebellomedullary cistern - lateral to the medulla.
- Posterior cerebellomedullary cistern (aka cisterna magna) - underneath the cerebellum.
- The extraction site during cisternal puncture.
- Superior sagittal sinus - runs along the superficial midline surface of the cerebrum.
- Confluence of sinuses (torcular Herophili) - lies at the occiput.
- The confluence of sinuses merges with the bilateral transverse sinuses - wrap horizontally along the tentorium cerebelli.
- The confluence of sinuses also receives the straight sinus - drains the deep cerebral veins. (Occipital sinus - drains inferiorly from the confluence of sinuses).
- Inferior sagittal sinus - runs inferior to the superior sagittal sinus along the same midline course, just above the corpus callosum; Empties into the straight sinus.
- Each transverse sinus empties into a sigmoid sinus - forms an S-shaped curve along the intracranial surface of the mastoid portion of the temporal bone.
- At the jugular bulb, each sigmoid sinus empties into its respective internal jugular vein.
- Vein of Galen (aka the great cerebral vein) - lies posterior to the splenium of the corpus callosum and drains directly into the straight sinus.
- Bilateral basal veins of Rosenthal - pass around the midbrain to drain into the vein of Galen, and the bilateral internal cerebral veins pass through the cistern of the velum interpositum to drain into the vein of Galen, as well.
- Superior cerebral veins - drain into the superior sagittal sinus; they divide into superior, middle, and inferior groups of veins, which drain the superficial cerebrum.