scholarly journals Microsurgical anatomy of the arterial compartment of the cavernous sinus: analysis of 24 cavernous sinus

2005 ◽  
Vol 63 (2a) ◽  
pp. 259-264 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gustavo Isolan ◽  
Evandro de Oliveira ◽  
João Paulo Mattos

The cavernous sinus is a complex compartment situated in both sides of the sella turcica, being its microsurgical anatomy knowledge of fundamental importance when consider to approach surgically. We studied the arterial microanatomy of 24 cavernous sinus at the microsurgical laboratory, considering that in all the internal carotid artery were filled with colored latex. The meningohypophyseal trunk was present in 18 cases (75%) with its origin in intracavernous portion of the internal carotid artery. In relation to the 18 presented cases with meningohypophyseal trunk, 14 (77.7%) had a trifurcate and 4 (23.3%) had a bifurcate pattern. The tentorial artery was present in all. Its origin was observed, arising from the meningohypophyseal trunk in 17 (70.8%) and as an isolated artery in some extension of the intracavernous portion in 7 (29.1%). An accessory tentorial artery was found in one specimen. The dorsal meningeal artery was present in 22 cases (91.6%). Its origin was in the meningohypophyseal trunk in 17 cases (77.2%), arising from internal carotid artery in 4 cases (18.1%) and from inferior hypophyseal artery in one case (4.1%).The inferior hypophyseal artery was present in all cases, having its origin at the meningohypophyseal trunk in 16 cases (66.6%). In the remaining 8 cases (33.3%) the artery was found arising alone from the intracavernous portion also. The artery of the inferior cavernous sinus or inferolateral trunk was present in all cases and had its origin from internal carotid artery in its intracavernous segment. The McConnell's artery was not found in any cavernous sinus.

Neurosurgery ◽  
1982 ◽  
Vol 11 (5) ◽  
pp. 712-717 ◽  
Author(s):  
John N. Taptas

Abstract The so-called cavernous sinus is a venous pathway, an irregular network of veins that is part of the extradural venous network of the base of the skull, not a trabeculated venous channel. This venous pathway, the internal carotid artery, and the oculomotor cranial nerves cross the medial portion of the middle cranial fossa in an extradural space formed on each side of the sella turcica by the diverging aspects of a dural fold. In this space the venous pathway has only neighborhood relations with the internal carotid artery and the cranial nerves. The space itself must be distinguished from the vascular and nervous elements that it contains. The revision of the anatomy of this region has not only theoretical interest but also important clinical implications.


2007 ◽  
Vol 61 (suppl_3) ◽  
pp. ONS-E52-ONS-E52 ◽  
Author(s):  
Niklaus Krayenbühl ◽  
Ahmad Hafez ◽  
Juha A. Hernesniemi ◽  
Ali F. Krisht

Abstract Objective: Improved understanding of the microsurgical anatomy of the cranial base region has made surgery in and through the cavernous sinus safer. However, continuous venous oozing that occurs during cavernous sinus surgery can cause significant blood loss and poor visualization. We describe a technique that will help minimize cavernous sinus bleeding and improve the safety of the surgical steps. Methods: The lateral wall of the cavernous sinus is exposed. Cavernous sinus access windows between the V1 and V2 branches of the trigeminal nerve and posterior to the clinoidal internal carotid artery are used to inject fibrin glue into the different cavernous sinus compartments. Postoperative follow-up cerebral angiography in basilar apex aneurysms clipped using the transcavernous approach were evaluated for cavernous sinus patency during the venous phase. Results: Fibrin glue injection between V1 and V2 obliterated the lateral cavernous sinus compartment. Fibrin glue injection posterior to the clinoidal segment of the internal carotid artery obliterated the medial compartment of the cavernous sinus. These steps were used in 217 surgical procedures (95 benign and 9 malignant neoplastic lesions; 113 aneurysms). There were no significant clinical side effects. Follow-up angiographic controls of basilar aneurysms operated on via the transcavernous approach consistently showed the reestablishment of flow within the cavernous sinus as early as 2 to 3 months postoperatively. Conclusion: Presently, the use of hemostatic agents and the better understanding of the microsurgical anatomy of the cranial base and cavernous sinus enable us to tame the cavernous sinus and operate in and around it with a high degree of safety.


2019 ◽  
Vol 21 (2) ◽  
pp. 39-44
Author(s):  
О. I. Sharipov ◽  
M. A. Kutin ◽  
P. L. Kalinin

The study objective is to describe the removal of the pituitary adenoma from the posterior cranial fossa through endoscopic transsphenoidal trans-cavernous approach, when the main surgical corridor was the tumor-intact cavernous sinus. Materials and methods. A 55-year-old male patient with endosupraretrosellar endocrine-inactive pituitary adenoma was admitted to N.N. Burdenko Research Center of Neurosurgery. The patient had earlier undergone two surgeries for pituitary adenoma. Using the endoscopic endonasal transsphenoidal approach, we found that these surgeries resulted in the formation of scar-altered adipose tissue in the sphenoid sinus and partly in the sella turcica; anatomical landmarks indicating the midline and the location of the internal carotid arteries were absent. We formed an access to both retro- and suprasellar portions of the tumor between the sella turcica and cavernous segment of the internal carotid artery (through the cavernous sinus); then we dissected anterior and posterior walls of the sinus and revealed a soft capsule-free pituitary adenoma, which was completely removed by a vacuum aspirator. The skull base defect was repaired using the multilayer technique with autologous tissues. Results. After surgery, neurological status and visual functions did not change. In the postoperative period, we observed no oculomotor disorders, pituitary insufficiency, diabetes insipidus, or nasal liquorrhea. Follow-up computed tomography scans revealed no signs of intracranial complications or obvious residual tumor tissue. Magnetic resonance imaging 4 month postoperatively demonstrated small laterosellar fragments of the tumor in the sella turcica. The patient was further followed up. Conclusion. Cavernous sinus is a natural anatomical corridor providing access to the structures of the posterior cranial fossa and interpeduncular cistern. The main risk (damage to the cavernous segment of the internal carotid artery) can be minimized by using intraoperative dopplerography and visual control of all manipulations.


Author(s):  
Enzo Emanuelli ◽  
Maria Baldovin ◽  
Claudia Zanotti ◽  
Sara Munari ◽  
Luca Denaro ◽  
...  

AbstractWhile the so-called pseudoaneurysms can result from arterial injury during trans-sphenoidal surgery or after a trauma, spontaneous aneurysms of cavernous–internal carotid artery (CICA) are rare. Symptoms vary and the differential diagnosis with other, more frequent, sellar lesions is difficult. We describe three cases of misdiagnosed CICA spontaneous aneurysm. In two cases the onset was with neuro-ophthalmological manifestations, classifiable as “cavernous sinus syndrome.” The emergency computed tomography scan did not show CICA aneurysm and the diagnosis was made by surgical exploration. The third patient came to our attention with a sudden severe unilateral epistaxis; endonasal surgery revealed also in this case a CICA aneurysm, eroding the wall and protruding into the sphenoidal sinus. When the onset was with a cavernous sinus syndrome, misdiagnosis exposed two patients to potential serious risk of bleeding, while the patient with epistaxis was treated with embolization, using coils and two balloons. Intracavernous nontraumatic aneurysms are both a diagnostic and therapeutic challenge, because of their heterogeneous onset and risk of rupture, potentially lethal. Intracavernous aneurysms can be managed with radiological follow-up, if asymptomatic or clinically stable, or can be surgically treated with endovascular or microsurgical techniques.


2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
pp. 99
Author(s):  
Dmitry Usachev ◽  
Oleg Sharipov ◽  
Ashraf Abdali ◽  
Sergei Yakovlev ◽  
Vasiliy Lukshin ◽  
...  

One of the most serious/potentially fatal complications of transsphenoidal surgery (TSS) is internal carotid artery (ICA) injury. Of 6230 patients who underwent TSS, ICA injury occurred in 8 (0.12%). The etiology, possible treatment options, and avoidance of ICA injury were analyzed. ICA injury occurred at two different stages: (1) during the exposure of the sella floor and dural incision over the sella and cavernous sinus and (2) during the resection of the cavernous sinus extension of the tumor. The angiographic collateral blood supply was categorized as good, sufficient, and nonsufficient to help with the decision making for repairing the injury. ICA occlusion with a balloon was performed at the injury site in two cases, microcoils in two patients, microcoils plus a single barrel extra-intracranial high-flow bypass in one case, stent grafting in one case, and no intervention in two cases. The risk of ICA injury diminishes with better preoperative preparation, intraoperative navigation, and ultrasound dopplerography. Reconstructive surgery for closing the defect and restoring the blood flow to the artery should be assessed depending on the site of the injury and the anatomical features of the ICA.


Neurosurgery ◽  
1990 ◽  
Vol 26 (3) ◽  
pp. 472-479 ◽  
Author(s):  
Slobodan V. Marinkovié ◽  
Milan M. Milisavljevié ◽  
Zorica D. Marinkovié

Abstract The perforating branches of the internal carotid artery (ICA) were examined in 30 forebrain hemispheres. These branches were present in all the cases studied, and varied from 1 to 6 in number (mean, 3.1). Their diameters ranged from 70 to 470 Mm (mean, 243 Mm). The perforating branches arose from the choroidal segment of the ICA, that is, from its caudal surface (52.3%), caudolateral surface (34.1%), or caudomedial surface (13.6%). They rarely originated from the bifurcation point of the ICA (10%). The distance of the remaining 90% of the perforators from the summit of the ICA measured between 0.6 and 4.6 mm. The perforating branches most often originated as individual vessels, and less frequently from a common stem with another vessel or by sharing the same origin site with another perforator or with the anterior choroidal artery. The bifurcation of the ICA, which is a frequent site for cerebral aneurysms, is surrounded by many perforating branches. Hence, great care must be taken to avoid damage to these important vessels during operations in that region.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yuanzhi Xu ◽  
Benjamin K Hendricks ◽  
Maximiliano Alberto Nunez ◽  
Ahmed Mohyeldin ◽  
Juan C Fernandez-Miranda ◽  
...  

Abstract BACKGROUND Understanding the microsurgical anatomical features of the endoscopy-assisted retrosigmoid intradural suprameatal approach (RISA) is critical for surgeons treating petroclival tumors or lesions in the cerebellopontine region that extend into Meckel's cave. OBJECTIVE To evaluate increased exposure for Meckel's cave in the RISA and assess the surgical landmarks for this approach. METHODS A standard retrosigmoid craniotomy to the cerebellopontine region was performed in 4 cadaveric specimens (8 hemispheres) with microscope-assisted endoscopy. The length and depth of the drilling region from the suprameatal tubercle to the petrous apex were analyzed. After opening Meckel's cave and mobilizing the trigeminal root completely, the landmarks for this approach were investigated. RESULTS The endoscopy-assisted RISA facilitates mobilization of the trigeminal root and enhances surgical exposure in the region of Meckel's cave and the petrous apex with increases of 10.1 ± 1.3 mm in depth, 21.4 ± 3.2 mm in length, and 6.4 ± 0.6 mm in height. The posterior and superior semicircular canals, internal auditory canal, superior petrous sinus, and internal carotid artery (petrous segment) served as important landmarks for this approach. One case illustration is presented to describe the application of this approach. CONCLUSION The RISA is suitable mainly for lesions in the posterior fossa that extend into Meckel's cave. The endoscopy-assisted reach optimizes accessibility to the petrous apex region, obviates the need for extensive drilling, and decreases the risk of internal carotid artery injury. Better realization and recognition of microsurgical landmarks and parameters of this approach are crucial for successful outcomes.


Author(s):  
K C Prasad ◽  
A Gupta ◽  
G Induvarsha ◽  
P K Anjali ◽  
V Vyshnavi

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document