Radiological and anatomical study on the development of the cavernous sinus and its draining veins in human fetuses.

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Development of the cavernous sinus and its draining venous system was investigated in the aborted fetuses ranging from 3 to 7 months of gestational age. Stereoroentogenography was taken multi-directionally for fetuses in whom contract material had been injected into the venous system. Serial sections of the skull base around the cavernous sinus were prepared for histological staining in fetuses without contrast injection. Results of radiological and anatomical observations are summarized as follows ;1) The cavernous sinus is formed initially as a sparse venous channels around the internal carotid artery in the beginning of fetal stage (about 3 months of gestational age).2) At the stage of 4 and 5 months, plexiform venous channels develop in the cavernous sinus to connect extracranially with the orbital veins and intracranially with the inferior petrosal sinus. The inter-cavernous sinus appears as a connecting channel of the bilateral cavernous sinuses, and the middle cerebral vein begins to drain into the cavernous sinus at this stage. Microscopicaly, the venous channels in the cavernous sinus increase in number and size at this stage, and are formed between two leaves of the dura mata.3) After 6 months of gestational age, plexiform venous channels converge into the several large veins, and the adult type of cavernous sinus is formed to connect between the orbital and the intracranial veins.