Abstract
Purpose
Few studies have characterized the venous channels of the falx cerebri under physiological conditions. The present study aimed to explore the falx cerebri using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).
Methods
A total of 91 patients (41 men and 50 women) with an intact falx cerebri and relevant dural sinuses underwent contrast MRI.
Results
In 15% of the participants, the falx cerebri contained venous channels with a patchy appearance. Seven of these channels were located in the anterior third of the falx, two were in the anterior two-thirds, and 5 were in the middle third. In 19 (21%) participants, the falcine sinus was unequivocally delineated. In 14 of them, connected the posterior third of the superior sagittal sinus and uppermost part of the straight sinus. These sinuses showed variable morphologies, presenting with linear, triangular, multi-channel, and branching appearances. The linear type was the most predominant and found in 50% of these cases. In contrast, in the remaining five participants, the falcine sinuses were coursing posteriorly, connecting the posterior third of the falx cerebri with the superior sagittal sinus.
Conclusion
The falx cerebri may have a role as a pathway in the intracranial venous circulation. The falcine sinus has several variants with diverse morphologies.
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This work was not supported by grant funding through any government/private agencies.
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ST proposed the project of study. HI and YY collected the imaging data. HO and HI analyzed the imaging data. ST wrote the manuscript. All the authors equally contributed to the study.
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The authors have no conflicts of interest concerning the materials or methods used in this study or the findings presented in this paper.
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Tsutsumi, S., Ono, H., Yasumoto, Y. et al. Venous channels of the falx cerebri in adult Japanese population: delineation using magnetic resonance imaging. Surg Radiol Anat 41, 203–207 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00276-018-2146-6
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00276-018-2146-6