A parietal foramen is an opening in the skull for the parietal
emissary vein
The emissary veins connect the extracranial venous system with the intracranial venous sinuses. They connect the veins outside the cranium to the venous sinuses inside the cranium. They drain from the scalp, through the skull, into the larger men ...
, which drains into the
superior sagittal sinus
The superior sagittal sinus (also known as the superior longitudinal sinus), within the human head, is an unpaired dural venous sinus lying along the attached margin of the falx cerebri. It allows blood to drain from the lateral aspects of the a ...
. Occasionally, a small branch of the
occipital artery
The occipital artery is a branch of the external carotid artery that provides arterial supply to the back of the scalp, sternocleidomastoid muscles, and deep muscles of the back and neck.
Structure
Origin
The occipital artery arises from (the ...
can also pass through it. Each foramen is located at the back part of the
parietal bone
The parietal bones ( ) are two bones in the skull which, when joined at a fibrous joint known as a cranial suture, form the sides and roof of the neurocranium. In humans, each bone is roughly quadrilateral in form, and has two surfaces, four bord ...
, close to the upper or sagittal border. It is not always present, and its size varies considerably.
Parietal foramina tend to be symmetrical, with the same number on each side.
See also
*
Foramina of skull
This article lists foramina that occur in the human body.
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Skull
The human skull has numerous openings (foramina), through which cranial nerves, arteries, veins, and other structures pass. These foramina vary in size and number, with ...
References
External links
Foramina of the skull
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