Advanced

AJNR - American Journal of Neuroradiology

This Article Figures Only Full Text Full Text (PDF) Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via CrossRef Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Hoffmann, O. Articles by Valdueza, J. M. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Hoffmann, O. Articles by Valdueza, J. M.

American Journal of Neuroradiology 23:408-411, March 2002
© 2002 American Society of Neuroradiology

Case Report
BRAIN

Diagnostic Pitfall: Atypical Cerebral Venous Drainage via the Vertebral Venous System

Olaf Hoffmann^a, Randolf Klingebiel^a, Johann S. Braun^a, Juri Katchanov^a and José M. Valdueza^a

^a From the Departments of Neurology (O.H., J.S.B., J.K., J.M.V.) and Neuroradiology (R.K.), University Hospital Charité, Humboldt University, Berlin, Germany

Address reprint requests to Dr Olaf Hoffmann, Neurologische Klinik und Poliklinik, Universitätsklinikum Charité, Schumannstr 20–21, 10117 Berlin, Germany

Summary: We report a case of atypical cerebral venous drainage in a 38-year-old woman with symptoms of benign paroxysmal positional vertigo. Thrombosis of the left internal jugular vein and sigmoid sinus was suspected on the basis of spin-echo and time-of-flight MR findings, but multisection CT angiograms showed a patent sigmoid sinus and predominant drainage via the emissary veins toward the vertebral plexus, with only a minor contribution of the jugular veins. This case illustrates the variability of the venous anatomy in the craniocervical region.