The Veins of the Posterior Cranial Fossa: Nomenclature

Abstract

From a radiologist’s viewpoint, Huang et al. divided the veins of the posterior cranial fossa into three draining groups based on the direction of drainage: the galenic, tentorial, and petrosal draining groups (Fig. 4.1) [1–4]. Although their works are excellent, their nomenclature is unsuitable for neurosurgeons. Furthermore, recognizing and remembering the names of veins in the posterior cranial fossa using their nomenclature is difficult; knowledge of the veins of the posterior cranial fossa and how they relate to systematic neural structures, surgeries, and surgical approaches is crucial for neurosurgeons who encounter them during surgery. In this chapter, we explain our classification and nomenclature of the veins of the posterior cranial fossa based on the neural structures and surgical approaches [9].