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Vein: Cavernous sinus
Cavernous sinus (center, labeled "SIN. CAVERN.")
The sinuses at the base of the skull. Cavernous sinus labeled in red
Latin	sinus cavernosus
Gray's	subject #171 658
Source	middle cerebral vein, sphenoparietal sinus, superior ophthalmic vein
Drains to	inferior petrosal sinus
MeSH	Cranial+Sinuses
Dorlands/Elsevier	s_12/12738628

The cavernous sinus (or lateral sellar compartment), within the human head, is a large collection of thin-walled veins creating a cavity bordered by the sphenoid bone and the temporal bone of the skull.

Contents 1 Contents 2 Venous connections 3 Clinical significance 4 Additional images 5 See also 6 References 7 External links

Each cavernous sinus (one for each hemisphere of the brain) contains the following:

• vertically, from superior to inferior
  • 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

• horizontally
  • internal carotid artery (and sympathetic plexus). See also cavernous part of internal carotid artery.
  • abducens nerve (CN VI)

One mnemonic for remembering the contents is "OTOM CAT"^[1]

It receives tributaries from:

• Superior and inferior ophthalmic veins
• Superior parietal sinus
• Superior and middle cerebral veins

The veins of exit are to the superior and inferior petrosal sinuses as well as via the emissary veins through the foramina of the skull. There are also connections with the pterygoid plexus of veins via inferior ophthalmic vein, deep facial vein and emissary veins.

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 (more specifically, a carotid-cavernous fistula).

The pituitary gland lies between the two paired cavernous sinuses. An abnormally growing pituitary adenoma, sitting on the bony sella turcica, will expand in the direction of least resistance and eventually compress the cavernous sinus. Cavernous sinus syndrome may result from mass effect of these tumors and cause ophthalmoplegia (from compression of the oculomotor nerve, trochlear nerve, and abducens nerve), ophthalmic sensory loss (from compression of the ophthalmic nerve), and maxillary sensory loss (from compression of the maxillary nerve).

Oblique section through the cavernous sinus.

Veins of orbit.

Pathways in the Ciliary Ganglion.

• Dural venous sinuses

1. ^ Mnemonic at medicalmnemonics.com 1094

• MedEd at Loyola grossanatomy/h_n/cn/dvs/dvs3.htm
• SUNY Figs 28:03-06 - "Venous dural sinuses."
• MeSH Cavernous+Sinus
• Norman/Georgetown lesson2
• Atlas of anatomy at UMich n3a8p1
• Cavernous+sinus at eMedicine Dictionary

v • d • e Veins of head and neck
head and face	common facial • facial (frontal, supraorbital, angular, superior labial, inferior labial, deep facial) • pterygoid plexus retromandibular (maxillary) • superficial temporal (anterior auricular) • posterior auricular occipital • suboccipital venous plexus
neck	internal jugular: lingual • pharyngeal • superior thyroid • middle thyroid other jugular veins: external • anterior • arch vertebral (deep cervical)
diploic/brain	cerebral: superior • middle • inferior • great • internal (basal) cerebellar: superior • inferior
sinuses of the dura mater	sigmoid • transverse (petrosquamous) confluence: superior sagittal • straight (inferior sagittal) • occipital cavernous (sphenoparietal) • inferior petrosal (basilar plexus) • intercavernous • superior petrosal • emissary
ophthalmic	superior ophthalmic • central retinal • nasofrontal • inferior ophthalmic • vorticose veins
internal auditory veins