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Inferior sagittal sinus: magnetic resonance imaging study

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Abstract

Purpose

To date, no study has explored the inferior sagittal sinus (ISS) using neuroimaging modalities. This investigation aimed to characterize it using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).

Methods

A total of 77 patients with intact cerebral hemispheres and covering meninges underwent thin-sliced, contrast-enhanced MRI.

Results

The ISS was well delineated as a linear structure with a constant diameter in 97% of the patients. The maximum intensity projection (MIP) images well delineated the three-dimensional architecture of the ISS and relevant veins. The identified ISSs could be classified into three different types, with the underdeveloped type being the most frequent at 47%. In addition, the ISSs showed considerable variability both in the original site and course along the lower margin of the falx cerebri. Furthermore, in 22% of the cases, fenestrations were identified in the falx cerebri adjacent to or near the ISS. More than 70% of them were located in the middle third of the falx, followed by the anterior and middle thirds of the falx.

Conclusions

The ISS is a constant venous structure characterized by morphological variability and may function as an adjunctive or assistive venous drainage route. Thin-sliced, post-contrast-enhanced sagittal MRI combined with MIP imaging is useful for exploring the ISS.

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Funding

No funding was received for this study.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Neurological Surgery, Juntendo University Urayasu Hospital, 2-1-1 Tomioka, Urayasu, Chiba, 279-0021, Japan

    Satoshi Tsutsumi & Hisato Ishii

  2. Division of Radiological Technology, Medical Satellite Yaesu Clinic, Tokyo, Japan

    Hideo Ono

Authors
  1. Satoshi Tsutsumi
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  2. Hideo Ono
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  3. Hisato Ishii
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Contributions

ST: conceived the study and wrote the manuscript, HO: collected the imaging data, and ST and HI: analyzed the imaging data.

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Satoshi Tsutsumi.

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Conflict of interest

The authors have no conflicts of interest to declare regarding the materials or methods used in this study or the findings presented in this paper.

Ethical approval

All procedures in this study were performed in accordance with the ethical standards of the institutional and/or national research committee and the 1964 Declaration of Helsinki and its later amendments or comparable ethical standards.

Informed consent

Informed consent was obtained from all participants included in the study.

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Tsutsumi, S., Ono, H. & Ishii, H. Inferior sagittal sinus: magnetic resonance imaging study. Surg Radiol Anat 43, 1353–1357 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00276-021-02701-0

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00276-021-02701-0

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