Imaging and anatomy of the normal intracranial venous system.
The intracranial venous system is a complex three-dimensional structure that is often asymmetric and considerably more variable than the arterial anatomy. The traditional approach has been to evaluate venous phase of catheter angiography. However, non-invasive imaging is now playing a greater role in evaluating the intracranial venous system in both healthy and diseased states. MR angiography, and especially Gd-enhanced 3D MRA, has recently emerged and offers excellent visualization of venous morphology from multiple orientations. An overview of the current non-invasive MRA methods and their applications has been provided during depiction of normal venous anatomy.
Scott
James N
JN
Division of Neuroradiology, Department of Medical Imaging, Toronto Western Hospital, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada. jn.scott@utoronto.ca
Farb
Richard I
RI
D002533:Cerebral Angiography; D002550:Cerebral Veins / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology* / Q000502:physiology; D002560:Cerebrovascular Circulation / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D021621:Imaging, Three-Dimensional; D018810:Magnetic Resonance Angiography; D010690:Phlebography; D012016:Reference Values