The superior petrosal sinus is one of the dural venous sinuses located beneath the

brain The brain is an organ (biology), organ that serves as the center of the nervous system in all vertebrate and most invertebrate animals. It consists of nervous tissue and is typically located in the head (cephalization), usually near organs for ...

. It receives blood from 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 ...

and passes backward and laterally to drain into 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 ...

. The sinus receives superior petrosal veins, some cerebellar veins, some inferior cerebral veins, and veins from the

tympanic cavity The tympanic cavity is a small cavity surrounding the bones of the middle ear. Within it sit the ossicles, three small bones that transmit vibrations used in the detection of sound. Structure On its lateral surface, it abuts the external audit ...

. They may be affected by

arteriovenous malformation An arteriovenous malformation (AVM) is an abnormal connection between arteries and veins, bypassing the capillary system. Usually congenital, this vascular anomaly is widely known because of its occurrence in the central nervous system (usually ...

or arteriovenous fistula, usually treated with

surgery Surgery is a medical specialty that uses manual and instrumental techniques to diagnose or treat pathological conditions (e.g., trauma, disease, injury, malignancy), to alter bodily functions (e.g., malabsorption created by bariatric surgery s ...

Structure

The superior petrosal sinus is located beneath the brain. It originates from the

. It passes backward and laterally to drain into the

. The sinus runs in the attached margin of the

tentorium cerebelli The cerebellar tentorium or tentorium cerebelli (Latin for "tent of the cerebellum") is one of four dural folds that separate the cranial cavity into four (incomplete) compartments. The cerebellar tentorium separates the cerebellum from the cere ...

, in a groove in the petrous part of the temporal bone formed by the sinus itself - the superior petrosal sulcus.

Function

The superior petrosal sinus drains many veins of the brain, including superior petrosal veins, some cerebellar veins, some inferior cerebral veins, and veins from the

Clinical significance

The superior petrosal sinus may be affected by an

or arteriovenous fistula. Most do not resolve by themselves. They may be treated with endovascular surgery or

open surgery Minimally invasive procedures (also known as minimally invasive surgeries) encompass surgical techniques that limit the size of incisions needed, thereby reducing wound healing time, associated pain, and risk of infection. Surgery by definitio ...

Additional images

File:Superior petrosal sinus.jpg, Superior petrosal sinus

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Superior Petrosal Sinus Veins of the head and neck