Cavernous sinus: relations, tributaries, communications and clinical significance
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Cavernous sinus: venous space on either side of the body of sphenoid and sella turcica in the middle cranial fossa, subdivided into small spaces (caverns) by trabeculae.
Location and Extent
Location: middle cranial fossa, either side of the body of sphenoid and sella turcica; 2 cm long, 1 cm wide.
Extent: anteriorly to the medial end of the superior orbital fissure, posteriorly to the apex of the petrous temporal bone.
Floor formed by the endosteal layer; lateral wall, roof and medial wall formed by the meningeal layer, the roof continuous medially with the diaphragma sellae.
Posterior roof bears a triangular depression between the tentorium cerebelli's attachment to the posterior clinoid process and the ridge from its free edge to the anterior clinoid process.
The oculomotor and trochlear nerves pierce this triangle to enter the sinus.