Diagnostic pitfall: atypical cerebral venous drainage via the vertebral venous system.
We report a case of atypical cerebral venous drainage in a 38-year-old woman with symptoms of benign paroxysmal positional vertigo. Thrombosis of the left internal jugular vein and sigmoid sinus was suspected on the basis of spin-echo and time-of-flight MR findings, but multisection CT angiograms showed a patent sigmoid sinus and predominant drainage via the emissary veins toward the vertebral plexus, with only a minor contribution of the jugular veins. This case illustrates the variability of the venous anatomy in the craniocervical region.
Hoffmann
Olaf
O
Department of Neurology, University Hospital Charité, Humboldt University, Berlin, Germany.
Klingebiel
Randolf
R
Braun
Johann S
JS
Katchanov
Juri
J
Valdueza
José M
JM
D000328:Adult; D002550:Cerebral Veins / Q000002:abnormalities* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D003392:Cranial Sinuses / Q000002:abnormalities* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D018810:Magnetic Resonance Angiography; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D012851:Sinus Thrombosis, Intracranial / Q000175:diagnosis; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed; D014463:Ultrasonography; D014717:Vertigo / Q000175:diagnosis