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Review
. 2020 Dec 31;53(4):379-384.
doi: 10.5115/acb.20.199.

Direct drainage of the basal vein of Rosenthal into the superior petrosal sinus: a literature review

Santiago Gutierrez  1 , Joe Iwanaga  2   3 , Aaron S Dumont  2 , R Shane Tubbs  2   3   4   5   6
Affiliations
Review

Direct drainage of the basal vein of Rosenthal into the superior petrosal sinus: a literature review

Santiago Gutierrez et al. Anat Cell Biol. .

Abstract

An adult male was found to have a variation of the left basal vein of Rosenthal after presenting with complaints of headache and balance issues. In this case, the vein drained directly into the left superior petrosal sinus (SPS) instead of the great vein of Galen. Anatomical variation of the basal vein is likely due to embryonic development of the deep cerebral venous system as primitive structures either differentiate regress or further with age. These changes may result in the uncommon presentation seen in this case. To our knowledge, this is the first case that shows the basal vein drains into the SPS. The normal and variant anatomy of this vessel are discussed.

Keywords: Basal vein; Basal vein of Rosenthal; Superior petrosal sinus; Tentorial sinus.

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Conflict of interest statement

Conflicts of Interest

No potential conflict of interest relevant to this article was reported.

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Lateral view of the cranium noting the course of the basal vein in the ambient cistern.
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
Superficial venous system of the brain.
Fig. 3
Fig. 3
Deep (galenic) venous system of the brain.
Fig. 4
Fig. 4
Axial CTA windowed to illustrate the basal vein (white arrowheads) draining posteriorly into the SPS (black arrow) (Courtesy of Dr. Joel Curé). CTA, computed tomography angiography; SPS, superior petrosal sinus.
Fig. 5
Fig. 5
Axial CTA windowed to illustrate the basal vein (white arrowheads) draining posteriorly into the superior petrosal sinus (SPS) (white arrow) (Courtesy of Dr. Joel Curé). CTA, computed tomography angiography; SPS, superior petrosal sinus.
Fig. 6
Fig. 6
Early embryological development of the veins of the brain noting the anterior, middle and posterior plexuses.
Fig. 7
Fig. 7
Later embryological development of the veins of the brain noting the tentorial plexus.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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