The middle cerebral veins - are the superficial and deep

vein Veins () are blood vessels in the circulatory system of humans and most other animals that carry blood towards the heart. Most veins carry deoxygenated blood from the tissues back to the heart; exceptions are those of the pulmonary and feta ...

s - that run along the

lateral sulcus The lateral sulcus (or lateral fissure, also called Sylvian fissure, after Franciscus Sylvius) is the most prominent sulcus (neuroanatomy), sulcus of each cerebral hemisphere in the human brain. The lateral sulcus (neuroanatomy), sulcus is a deep ...

. The superficial middle cerebral vein is also known as the superficial Sylvian vein, and the deep middle cerebral vein is also known as the deep Sylvian vein. The lateral sulcus or lateral fissure, is also known as the Sylvian fissure.

Superficial middle cerebral vein

The superficial middle cerebral vein (superficial Sylvian vein) begins on the lateral surface of the

hemisphere Hemisphere may refer to: In geometry * Hemisphere (geometry), a half of a sphere As half of Earth or any spherical astronomical object * A hemisphere of Earth ** Northern Hemisphere ** Southern Hemisphere ** Eastern Hemisphere ** Western Hemi ...

. It runs along the

to empty into either the

cavernous sinus The cavernous sinus within the human head is one of the dural venous sinuses creating a cavity called the lateral sellar compartment bordered by the temporal bone of the skull and the sphenoid bone, lateral to the sella turcica. Structure The ...

, or the sphenoparietal sinus. It is adherent to the deep surface of the

arachnoid mater The arachnoid mater (or simply arachnoid) is one of the three meninges, the protective membranes that cover the brain and spinal cord. It is so named because of its resemblance to a spider web. The arachnoid mater is a derivative of the neural cr ...

bridging the lateral sulcus. It drains the adjacent cortex.

Anastomoses

At its posterior extremity, the superficial middle cerebral vein is connected with 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 ...

via the superior anastomotic vein, and with the

transverse sinus The transverse sinuses (left and right lateral sinuses), within the human head, are two areas beneath the brain which allow blood to drain from the back of the head. They run laterally in a groove for transverse sinus, groove along the interior ...

via the inferior anastomotic vein.

Deep middle cerebral vein

The deep middle cerebral vein (deep Sylvian vein) receives tributaries from the insula and neighboring

gyri In neuroanatomy, a gyrus (: gyri) is a ridge on the cerebral cortex. It is generally surrounded by one or more sulcus (neuroanatomy), sulci (depressions or furrows; : sulcus). Gyri and sulci create the folded appearance of the brain in huma ...

, and runs in the lower part of the

Additional images

File:Slide6Neo.JPG, Meninges and superficial cerebral veins. Deep dissection. Superior view. File:Gray724.png, Base of brain. (Lateral fissure visible at top left.) File:Gray568.png, Sagittal section of the skull, showing the sinuses of the dura. (Cerebral veins labeled at center left.)

References

{{Authority control Veins of the head and neck