Bilateral oblique occipital venous sinus groove and asymmetry of the sigmoid sinus groove: A case report
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.33448/rsd-v15i1.50557Keywords:
Blood vessels, Neuroanatomy, Anatomical variation.Abstract
The occipital venous sinus is the smallest venous sinus described and typically communicates cranially with the confluence of sinuses and caudally with the vertebral venous plexus, resulting in the formation of a single groove between the internal occipital crest and the jugular foramen. Additionally, the sigmoid sinuses are responsible for draining the transverse sinuses on each side toward the internal jugular vein, which defines a bilaterally present groove on the petrous surface of the temporal bone. The aim of this case report was to describe an uncommon anatomical variation related to these grooves, identified in an adult dry skull from the Human Anatomy Laboratory of an educational institution located in the interior of the state of São Paulo, Brazil. Furthermore, to complement the study, a literature review was conducted in the PubMed and SciELO databases using the descriptors “occipital venous sinus” and “anatomic variation,” combined with the Boolean operator AND. Examination of the specimen revealed a peculiar anatomical variation: the groove of the occipital venous sinus was oblique and bilateral, with both depressions originating from the internal occipital crest and extending toward the groove of the ipsilateral sigmoid sinus. In addition, the groove of the right sigmoid sinus was nearly imperceptible, suggesting the presence of asymmetry in the cranial structure. Thus, understanding such variations is essential for planning neurosurgical interventions, in order to avoid complications and improve patient care.
References
Alper, F., Kantarci, M., Dane, S., Gumustekin, K., Onbas, O., & Durur, I. (2004). Importance of anatomical asymmetries of transverse sinuses: An MR venographic study. Cerebrovascular Diseases, 18(3), 236–239. https://doi.org/10.1159/000079960
Candanedo, C., Moscovici, S., Kaye, A. H., & Spektor, S. (2020). The oblique occipital sinus: Implications in posterior fossa approaches. Journal of Clinical Neuroscience, 76, 202–204. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jocn.2020.04.055
Çavdar, S., Solmaz, B., Taniş, Ö., Guler, O. U., Dalçık, H., Aydoğmuş, E., Altunkaya, L., Kara, E., & Aslıyüksek, H. (2021). Anatomic variations of the human falx cerebelli and its association with occipital venous sinuses. British Journal of Neurosurgery, 35(3), 306–312. https://doi.org/10.1080/02688697.2020.1793907
Das, S., Abd Latiff, A., Suhaimi, F. H., Othman, F. B., Yahaya, M. F., Ahmad, F., & Abdul Hamid, H. (2008). An anatomico-radiological study of the grooves for occipital sinus in the posterior cranial fossa. Bratislavske Lekarske Listy, 109(11), 520–524. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19205565/
Felipe, I., Antônio, M., & Pacífico, F. A. (2023). Variações anatômicas do seio transverso e suas repercussões clínicas-cirúrgicas. Anais da Faculdade de Medicina de Olinda, 1(9), 43–54. https://doi.org/10.56102/afmo.2023.250
Hayashi, Y., Fukui, I., Sasagawa, Y., Misaki, K., Oishi, M., & Nakada, M. (2018). Eficácia da incisão dural modificada para preservar a permeabilidade do seio occipital na descompressão do forame magnum em um paciente com malformação de Chiari tipo I. Surgical Neurology International, 9, 153. https://doi.org/10.4103/sni.sni_70_18
Johannes Sobotta, Friedrich Paulsen, J Waschke, Klonisch, T., & S Hombach-Klonisch. (2013). Sobotta atlas of human anatomy. Elsevier/Urban & Fischer.
Kalkmann, G. F., Chagas, C. O., Foggiatto, J. A., Carias, B., Bettega, S. G., & Veronez, L. (2022). Análise sistemática das variações anatômicas dos seios da dura-máter para prototipagem e impressão 3D com base em neuroimagem. Brazilian Journal of Development, 8(8), 57881–57897. https://doi.org/10.34117/bjdv8n8-197
Kılıç, T., & Akakın, A. (2007). Anatomy of cerebral veins and sinuses. In J. Bogousslavsky & L. Caplan (Eds.), Handbook on cerebral venous thrombosis (pp. 4–15). Karger. https://doi.org/10.1159/000111256
Kobayashi, K., Suzuki, M., Ueda, F., & Matsui, O. (2006). Anatomical study of the occipital sinus using contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance venography. Neuroradiology, 48(6), 373–379. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00234-006-0087-y
Lang, J. (1991). Anatomia clínica da fossa craniana posterior e seus forâminas. Thieme.
Moore, K. L., Dalley, A. F., & Agur, A. M. R. (2018). Clinically oriented anatomy (8th ed.). Wolters Kluwer.
Netter, F. H. (2022). Netter atlas of human anatomy: A systems approach. Elsevier Health Sciences.
Pereira, A. S. et al. (2018). Metodologia da pesquisa científica. [free ebook]. Santa Maria: Editora da UFSM.
Ramos-Júnior, S. P., Gusmão, S., Raso, J. L., Nicolato, A., Santos, I. M. C., & Caetano, I. M. (2014). Estudo morfométrico comparativo do sulco sinusal sigmoide e do forame jugular. Arquivos de Neuro-Psiquiatria, 72(9), 694–698. https://doi.org/10.1590/0004-282X20140117
Reis, C. V., Arantes, A. A., Nicolato, A., & Gusmão, S. (2012). Delimitação dos acessos cranianos. Arquivos Brasileiros de Neurocirurgia, 31(3), 135–145. https://doi.org/10.1055/s-0038-1625696
Shin, H. S., Choi, D. S., Baek, H. J., Choi, H. C., Choi, H. Y., Park, M. J., Kim, J. E., Han, J. Y., & Park, S. (2016). The oblique occipital sinus: Anatomical study using bone subtraction 3D CT venography. Surgical and Radiologic Anatomy, 39(6), 619–628. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00276-016-1767-x
Toassi, R. F. C. & Petry, P. C. (2021). Metodologia científica aplicada à área da saúde. (2ed). Editora da UFRGS.
Tochigi, S., Isoshima, A., Ohashi, H., Kawamura, D., Karagiozov, K., Hatano, K., Ohashi, S., Nagashima, H., Murayama, Y., & Abe, T. (2023). Avaliação pré-operatória do seio occipital dominante em pacientes com malformação de Chiari tipo I: Variações anatômicas e implicações para prevenir complicações cirúrgicas potencialmente fatais. Journal of Neurosurgery, 138(2), 540–549. https://doi.org/10.3171/2022.5.JNS212973
Tubbs, R. S., Bosmia, A. N., Shoja, M. M., Loukas, M., Curé, J. K., & Cohen-Gadol, A. A. (2011). The oblique occipital sinus: A review of anatomy and imaging characteristics. Surgical and Radiologic Anatomy, 33(9), 747–749. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00276-011-083
Widjaja, E., & Griffiths, P. D. (2004). Intracranial MR venography in children: Normal anatomy and variations. AJNR. American Journal of Neuroradiology, 25(9), 1557–1562. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/15502138/
Yin, R. K. (2015). O estudo de caso. Editora Bookman.
Downloads
Published
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2026 Valquíria Ribeiro Borges, João Victor Silveira Camargo, João Vitor Pereira Rabelo, Camila Albuquerque Melo de Carvalho, Edson Donizetti Verri, Marcell Maduro Barbosa
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Authors who publish with this journal agree to the following terms:
1) Authors retain copyright and grant the journal right of first publication with the work simultaneously licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution License that allows others to share the work with an acknowledgement of the work's authorship and initial publication in this journal.
2) Authors are able to enter into separate, additional contractual arrangements for the non-exclusive distribution of the journal's published version of the work (e.g., post it to an institutional repository or publish it in a book), with an acknowledgement of its initial publication in this journal.
3) Authors are permitted and encouraged to post their work online (e.g., in institutional repositories or on their website) prior to and during the submission process, as it can lead to productive exchanges, as well as earlier and greater citation of published work.
