Cavernous sinus

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Cavernous sinus: internal carotid artery (red); Cranial nerves (yellow)

Sinus cavernosus (from sinus , Latin: "pouch", "pocket", "innermost", and cavus , Latin: "cave, cavity") is the medical term for an enlarged vein space in the hard meninges at the anterior skull base . It belongs to the cerebral blood conductors ( sinus durae matris ) through which the blood flows from the brain . The sphenoparietal sinus , the superior ophthalmic vein and the inferior ophthalmic vein open into the cavernous sinus . It essentially flows through the inferior petrosal sinus into the superior bulb of the internal jugular vein . The pituitary gland protrudes into the cavernous sinus.

On the wall of the cavernous sinus run multiple cranial nerves : oculomotor nerve , trochlear , ophthalmic nerve , maxillary nerve . The abducens nerve runs through the cavernous sinus. The internal carotid artery runs through the cavernous sinus, so that injuries or ruptures of the wall can lead to the formation of an arteriovenous fistula, which can be divided into four different groups depending on the type of fistula. In the case of a high-flow fistula, a pulsating exophthalmos occurs . There is also a connection via the superior ophthalmic vein and angular vein to the facial vein , which drained the face. In this respect, in the event of an inflammatory process in the facial area, the infection can spread to the cavernous sinus, which can lead to a cavernous sinus thrombosis .

See also

Web links

Commons : Cavernous Sinus  - collection of images, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

  1. ^ The Free Dictionary: cavernous sinus
  2. Barrow Classification for Carotid-Cavernosus Fistulas. Retrieved May 29, 2020 .