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
Groove or Grooves may refer to:
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* The Groove (band), an Australian rock/pop band of the 1960s
* The Groove (Sirius XM), a US radio station
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...
along the interior surface of the
occipital bone
The occipital bone () is a neurocranium, cranial dermal bone and the main bone of the occiput (back and lower part of the skull). It is trapezoidal in shape and curved on itself like a shallow dish. The occipital bone overlies the occipital lobe ...
. They drain from the
confluence of sinuses
The confluence of sinuses (Latin: confluens sinuum), torcular Herophili, or torcula is the connecting point of the superior sagittal sinus, straight sinus, and occipital sinus. It is below the internal occipital protuberance of the skull. It dr ...
(by the
internal occipital protuberance
Along the internal surface of the occipital bone, at the point of intersection of the four divisions of the cruciform eminence, is the internal occipital protuberance. Running transversely on either side is a groove for the transverse sinus
The ...
) to the
sigmoid sinuses
The sigmoid sinuses (sigma- or s-shaped hollow curve), also known as the , are venous sinuses within the skull that receive blood from posterior dural venous sinus veins.
Structure
The sigmoid sinus is a dural venous sinus situated within the du ...
, which ultimately connect to the
internal jugular vein
The internal jugular vein is a paired jugular vein that collects blood from the brain and the superficial parts of the face and neck. This vein runs in the carotid sheath with the common carotid artery and vagus nerve.
It begins in the posteri ...
. ''See diagram (at right)'': labeled under the brain as "" (for Latin: ''sinus transversus'').
Structure
The transverse sinuses are of large size and begin at the
internal occipital protuberance
Along the internal surface of the occipital bone, at the point of intersection of the four divisions of the cruciform eminence, is the internal occipital protuberance. Running transversely on either side is a groove for the transverse sinus
The ...
; one, generally the right, being the direct continuation of the
superior sagittal sinus
The superior sagittal sinus (also known as the superior longitudinal sinus), within the human head, is an unpaired area along the attached margin of the falx cerebri. It allows blood to drain from the lateral aspects of anterior cerebral hemispher ...
, the other of the
straight sinus.
Each transverse sinus passes lateral and forward, describing a slight curve with its convexity upward, to the base of the
petrous portion of the
temporal bone
The temporal bones are situated at the sides and base of the skull, and lateral to the temporal lobes of the cerebral cortex.
The temporal bones are overlaid by the sides of the head known as the temples, and house the structures of the ears. Th ...
, and lies, in this part of its course, in the attached margin of the
tentorium cerebelli
The cerebellar tentorium or tentorium cerebelli (Latin for "tent of the cerebellum") is an extension of the dura mater that separates the cerebellum from the inferior portion of the occipital lobes.
Structure
The cerebellar tentorium is an arche ...
; it then leaves the tentorium and curves downward and medialward (an area sometimes referred to as the
sigmoid sinus
The sigmoid sinuses (sigma- or s-shaped hollow curve), also known as the , are venous sinuses within the skull that receive blood from posterior dural venous sinus veins.
Structure
The sigmoid sinus is a dural venous sinus situated within the du ...
) to reach the
jugular foramen
A jugular foramen is one of the two (left and right) large foramina (openings) in the base of the skull, located behind the carotid canal. It is formed by the temporal bone and the occipital bone. It allows many structures to pass, including the i ...
, where it ends in the
internal jugular vein
The internal jugular vein is a paired jugular vein that collects blood from the brain and the superficial parts of the face and neck. This vein runs in the carotid sheath with the common carotid artery and vagus nerve.
It begins in the posteri ...
.
In its course it rests upon the
squama of the
occipital
The occipital bone () is a cranial dermal bone and the main bone of the occiput (back and lower part of the skull). It is trapezoidal in shape and curved on itself like a shallow dish. The occipital bone overlies the occipital lobes of the cereb ...
, the
mastoid angle of the
parietal, the
mastoid part
The mastoid part of the temporal bone is the posterior (back) part of the temporal bone, one of the bones of the skull. Its rough surface gives attachment to various muscles (via tendons) and it has openings for blood vessels. From its borders, ...
of the
temporal, and, just before its termination, the
jugular process
The jugular process is a quadrilateral or triangular bony plate projecting lateralward from the posterior half of the occipital condyle; it is a part of the lateral part of the occipital bone.
The jugular process is excavated in front by the jugul ...
of the occipital; the portion which occupies the groove on the mastoid part of the temporal is sometimes termed the
sigmoid sinus
The sigmoid sinuses (sigma- or s-shaped hollow curve), also known as the , are venous sinuses within the skull that receive blood from posterior dural venous sinus veins.
Structure
The sigmoid sinus is a dural venous sinus situated within the du ...
.
The transverse sinuses are frequently of unequal size, with the one formed by the
superior sagittal sinus
The superior sagittal sinus (also known as the superior longitudinal sinus), within the human head, is an unpaired area along the attached margin of the falx cerebri. It allows blood to drain from the lateral aspects of anterior cerebral hemispher ...
being the larger; they increase in size as they proceed, from back to center.
On transverse section, the horizontal portion exhibits a prismatic form, the curved portion has a semicylindrical form.
They receive the blood from the superior petrosal sinuses at the base of the petrous portion of the temporal bone; they communicate with the veins of the
pericranium
The periosteum is a membrane that covers the outer surface of all bones, except at the articular surfaces (i.e. the parts within a joint space) of long bones. Endosteum lines the inner surface of the medullary cavity of all long bones.
Structure ...
by means of the
mastoid
The mastoid part of the temporal bone is the posterior (back) part of the temporal bone, one of the bones of the skull. Its rough surface gives attachment to various muscles (via tendons) and it has openings for blood vessels. From its borders, ...
and
condyloid
A condyloid joint (also called condylar, ellipsoidal, or bicondylar) is an ovoid articular surface, or condyle that is received into an elliptical cavity. This permits movement in two planes, allowing flexion, extension, adduction, abduction, a ...
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 human skull, skull, into t ...
s; and they receive some of the
inferior cerebral and
inferior cerebellar vein
The cerebellar veins are veins which drain the cerebellum. They consist of the superior cerebellar veins and the inferior cerebellar veins (dorsal cerebellar veins). The superior cerebellar veins drain to the straight sinus and the internal cereb ...
s, and some veins from the
diploë.
The
petrosquamous sinus
The petrosquamous sinus is a fetal vein that generally disappears by birth and, when present, runs backward along the junction of the squama and petrous portion of the temporal, and opens into the transverse sinus
The transverse sinuses (lef ...
, when present, runs backward along the junction of the squama and petrous portion of the temporal, and opens into the transverse sinus.
Additional images
File:Gray133.png, Left parietal bone. Inner surface.
File:Gray567.png, Dura mater and its processes exposed by removing part of the right half of the skull, and the brain
File:Gray570.png, The sinuses at the base of the skull
File:Gray908.png, Horizontal section through left ear; upper half of section
File:Gray1198.png, Relations of the brain and middle meningeal artery to the surface of the skull
File:Gray1209.png, Left temporal bone showing surface markings for the tympanic antrum (red), transverse sinus (blue), and facial nerve (yellow)
File:Transverse sinus 2.jpg, Transverse sinuses
File:Transverse sinuses 2.jpg, Transverse sinuses
See also
*
Dural venous sinuses
The dural venous sinuses (also called dural sinuses, cerebral sinuses, or cranial sinuses) are venous channels found between the endosteal and meningeal layers of dura mater in the brain. They receive blood from the cerebral veins, receive cereb ...
References
*
External links
Cerebral Venous Sinusesat neuroangio.org
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Veins of the head and neck