The cavernous sinus lies adjacent to the body of the sphenoid bone.

Although most of the dural

venous sinuses are open channels, the cavernous sinus is crossed by many trabeculae.

Communication between the two cavernous sinuses occurs in front of and behind the pituitary
gland. These are called the ‘anterior and posterior intercavernous sinuses’. The two cavernous
sinuses and the intercavernous sinuses together are sometimes referred to as the ‘circular sinus’.

The tributaries of the cavernous sinus are: the sphenoparietal sinus, the superficial middle
cerebral vein, the inferior cerebral veins and the veins from the orbit, which include the superior
and inferior ophthalmic veins, and sometimes the central vein of the retina.

The cavernous sinus drains via the superior petrosal sinus into the transverse sinus close to its
junction with the sigmoid sinus. It also drains into the internal jugular vein via the inferior petrosal
sinus.

Emissary veins link the cavernous sinuses with the pterygoid venous plexuses in the
infratemporal fossa, passing through the foramen lacerum, foramen ovale and the emissary
sphenoidal foramen.

Several important structures lie within the walls of the cavernous sinus. The oculomotor and
trochlear nerves, and the ophthalmic and maxillary divisions of the trigeminal nerve invaginate the
lateral dural wall of the sinus. The internal carotid artery, with its sympathetic plexus and the
abducent nerve, lie inside the cavernous sinus.

Cranial Dura

The cranial dura mater lines the cranial cavity and is composed of two layers, an inner meningeal
layer and an outer endosteal layer.

The two layers are apposed to one another except where they part to enclose the venous
sinuses. The endosteal layer is continuous with the pericranium and with the orbital periosteum
through the superior orbital fissure.

The meningeal layer provides tubular sheaths for the cranial nerves as they exit the cranium
through the cranial foramina. These sheaths fuse with the epineurium as the cranial nerves exit
the skull.

Falx Cerebelli

The falx cerebri is a sickle-shaped fold of dura that lies along the median sagittal plane in the
longitudinal fissure between the two cerebral hemispheres, above the corpus callosum. Anteriorly,
it is attached to the crista galli. Its attachment to the skull continues superiorly and posteriorly
along the margins of the superior sagittal venous sinus to the internal occipital protuberance. At
its posterior and inferior limit, the falx cerebri is continuous with the tentorium cerebelli. The
inferior sagittal venous sinus runs in its free inferior border, and the straight sinus along its
junction with the tentorium cerebelli.

Tentorium Cerebelli

The tentorium cerebelli lies between the cerebellum and the occipital lobes of the cerebral
hemispheres. It forms the crescent-shaped roof to the posterior cranial fossa. The tentorium
cerebelli is notched anteriorly so that the roof of the posterior cranial fossa is incomplete behind
the dorsum sellae of the sphenoid bone. This notch is called the ‘tentorial incisure’. The margin is
named the ‘free border of the tentorium’. The midbrain lies in this incisure, together with part of
the adjacent cerebellar vermis.
The tentorium cerebelli is attached at its periphery to the margins of the transverse and superior
petrosal venous sinuses, and to the posterior clinoid processes of the dorsum sellae. However,
the free border of the tentorium continues anteriorly to gain attachment to the anterior clinoid
processes.

A cavernous venous sinus is located on each side of the sella turcica between two layers of dura
mater, the layer lining the sella turcica and the layer extending from the free border of the
tentorium.