Cavernous sinus
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Vein: Cavernous sinus | ||
|---|---|---|
| Oblique section through the cavernous sinus. (Cavernous sinus labeled at upper right.) | ||
| The sinuses at the base of the skull. (Cavernous sinus visible at center left, labeled in very small print.) | ||
| Latin | sinus cavernosus | |
| Gray's | subject #171 658 | |
| Dorlands/Elsevier | s_12/12738628 | |
The cavernous sinus (or lateral sellar compartment) is a large collection of thin-walled veins creating a cavity bordered by the sphenoid bone and the temporal bone of the skull.
Each cavernous sinus (one for each hemisphere of the brain) contains the following:
- internal carotid artery
- sympathetic plexus of the internal carotid artery
- oculomotor nerve (CN III)
- trochlear nerve (CN IV)
- ophthalmic nerve, the V1 branch of the trigeminal nerve (CN V)
- maxillary nerve, the V2 branch of CN V
- abducens nerve (CN VI)
It is the only anatomic location in the body in which an artery travels completely through a venous structure. If the internal carotid artery ruptures within the cavernous sinus, an arteriovenous fistula is created.
[edit] Additional images
Veins of orbit. |
[edit] See also
[edit] External links
 | This anatomy article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. |
