What is a torcula?
The confluence of sinuses, torcular herophili, or torcula is the connecting point of the superior sagittal sinus, straight sinus, and occipital sinus. It is found deep to the occipital protuberance of the skull. Blood arriving at this point then proceeds to drain into the left and right transverse sinuses.
What is torcular Herophili?
The torcular Herophili (confluence of sinuses) is a highly variable structure that constitutes a vital part of the network of dural venous sinuses. The torcular Herophili is defined historically as the intersection of the superior sagittal sinus, the straight sinus, the occipital sinus, and the two transverse sinuses.
What are confluence of sinuses?
The torcular Heterophili is also known as confluence of sinuses and is located at the occipital pole of the skull. It is formed by the merger of the SSS and the straight sinus draining most of the cerebral venous blood flow into the bilateral transverse sinuses.
What dural venous sinuses come together at the confluence of sinuses?
The confluence of sinuses (torcular of Herophilus or torcula) is a dural venous sinus that appears as a dilation at the posterior end of the superior sagittal sinus….Confluence of sinuses.
| Drains from | Superior sagittal sinus, straight sinus and occipital sinus |
|---|---|
| Drainage area | Cerebral hemispheres |
Where is the occipital sinus?
occipital bone
The occipital sinus, which is the smallest dural venous sinus, runs along the inner surface of the occipital bone. The occipital sinus is attached to the posterior margin of the falx cerebelli and receives tributaries from the margins of the foramen magnum.
What is emissary vein?
The emissary veins are valveless vessels which connect the superficial veins of the scalp with deeper veins, e.g. diploic veins of the skull bones.
What is torcular meningioma?
Torcular meningiomas arise from the wall of the torcular Herophili, the site of confluence of the superior sagittal, straight, occipital, and both transverse sinuses.
What is significance of confluence in brain?
Function. The confluence of sinuses is important in drainage of venous blood from the brain. It drains most of the blood from the brain.
What is a cavernous sinus?
The cavernous sinus is part of the brain’s dural venous sinus and contains multiple neuro-vasculatures. It is situated bilaterally to the sella turcica and extends from the superior orbital fissure anteriorly to the petrous part of the temporal bone posteriorly, and is about 1 cm wide and 2 cm long.
What are dural sinuses filled with?
The dural venous sinuses are spaces between the endosteal and meningeal layers of the dura. They contain venous blood that originates for the most part from the brain or cranial cavity.
What drains into sigmoid sinus?
Inconstant veins that drain into the sigmoid sinus include veins from the pons and medulla oblongata. The sigmoid sinus has anastomoses with the mastoid emissary and condylar emissary veins routinely.