Cavernous sinus

Cavernous sinus (from sinus, Latin for " bag ", " bag ", " inner self ", and cavus, Latin for " cave, cavity ") is the medical term for an enlarged veins space in the dura mater of the anterior cranial base. He belongs to the brain blood conductors ( sinus of the dura mater ), over which flows the blood from the brain. In the cavernous sinus sinus sphenoparietalis and the superior ophthalmic vein empties. It flows mainly through the inferior petrosal sinus into the superior bulb of the internal jugular vein.

On the wall of the cavernous sinus run multiple cranial nerves: oculomotor, trochlear, ophthalmic nerve, maxillary nerve. The abducens nerve passes through the cavernous sinus. The internal carotid artery passes through the cavernous sinus, so that injury or rupture of the wall to form an arteriovenous fistula may result. This leads to a pulsating exophthalmos. There is also a connection via the superior ophthalmic vein and vena angularis to the facial vein that drains the face. So it may come to the cavernous sinus in the case of an inflammatory process in the facial area to the spread of the infection, which can lead to cavernous sinus thrombosis.