1. Dural Venous Channels: Hidden in Plain Sight–Reassessment of an Under-Recognized Entity
- Author
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Erez Nossek, M. Litao, K. Srivatanakul, Peter Kim Nelson, Maksim Shapiro, and E. Raz
- Subjects
medicine.diagnostic_test ,Interventional ,business.industry ,Tentorium cerebelli ,Anatomy ,medicine.disease ,Cortical Vein ,Vertex (anatomy) ,030218 nuclear medicine & medical imaging ,03 medical and health sciences ,0302 clinical medicine ,medicine.anatomical_structure ,medicine.vein ,Dural arteriovenous fistulas ,Angiography ,otorhinolaryngologic diseases ,Medicine ,Radiology, Nuclear Medicine and imaging ,Neurology (clinical) ,business ,030217 neurology & neurosurgery ,Sinus (anatomy) ,Cerebral angiography ,Basal vein - Abstract
BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Tentorial sinus venous channels within the tentorium cerebelli connecting various cerebellar and supratentorial veins, as well as the basal vein, to adjacent venous sinuses are a well-recognized entity. Also well-known are “dural lakes” at the vertex. However, the presence of similar channels in the supratentorial dura, serving as recipients of the Labbe, superficial temporal, and lateral and medial parieto-occipital veins, among others, appears to be underappreciated. Also under-recognized is the possible role of these channels in the angioarchitecture of certain high-grade dural fistulas. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A retrospective review of 100 consecutive angiographic studies was performed following identification of index cases to gather data on the angiographic and cross-sectional appearance, location, length, and other features. A review of 100 consecutive dural fistulas was also performed to identify those not directly involving a venous sinus. RESULTS: Supratentorial dural venous channels were found in 26% of angiograms. They have the same appearance as those in the tentorium cerebelli, a flattened, ovalized morphology owing to their course between 2 layers of the dura, in contradistinction to a rounded cross-section of cortical and bridging veins. They are best appreciated on angiography and volumetric postcontrast T1-weighted images. Ten dural fistulas not directly involving a venous sinus were identified, 6 tentorium cerebelli and 4 supratentorial. CONCLUSIONS: Supratentorial dural venous channels are an under-recognized entity. They may play a role in the angioarchitecture of dural arteriovenous fistulas that appear to drain directly into a cortical vein. We propose “dural venous channel” as a unifying name for these structures.
- Published
- 2020