Summary
The petrosal vein is a useful indicator in the diagnosis of posterior fossa masses. Its displacement does not necessarily provide precise localization of the lesion; displacements can be caused by masses either in the cerebello-pontine angle or the cerebellar hemisphere. In normal vertebral angiograms the petrosal vein fills almost always, even if only the posterior inferior cerebellar artery fills with contrast, with the peripheral portion of the vertebral artery in spasm. The posterior fossa veins fill bilaterally in two-thirds of normal unilateral vertebral arteriograms. If the petrosal and other veins fail to fill on the side injected and if the contralateral veins fill well, then a posterior fossa mass can be strongly suspected on the side of the injected artery.
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Contribution of the 1st European Colloquium for Neuroradiology, September 6, 1969 Colmar
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Bull, J., Kozlowski, P. The angiographic pattern of the petrosal veins in the normal and pathological. Neuroradiology 1, 20–26 (1970). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00347654
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00347654