[Sinus pericranii: a rare transcranial venous anomaly]

Rev Stomatol Chir Maxillofac. 2009 Apr;110(2):98-100. doi: 10.1016/j.stomax.2008.11.001. Epub 2009 Jan 23.
[Article in French]

Abstract

Introduction: Sinus pericranii is a rare midline cranial venous anomaly. It should be diagnosed radiologically. We report an asymptomatic case in a six-year-old female patient.

Case report: The patient consulted for a congenital asymptomatic bluish mediofrontal swelling. The complaint was strictly esthetic. A color US and MR angiography allowed diagnosing a sinus pericranii. Simple surveillance was decided because of a limited esthetic prejudice and the absence of any functional disorder.

Discussion: Sinus pericranii is a communication between extra- and intracranial venous systems. Its diagnosis is suspected when a subcutaneous mass is located on the scalp close to the midline, the volume of which changes with the head's position. It is confirmed by MRI, which usually shows a drainage in the superior sagittal sinus. Surgical treatment is a complex procedure and rarely indicated. A simple follow-up is often proposed because of the usual absence of complications.

Publication types

  • Case Reports
  • English Abstract

MeSH terms

  • Child
  • Contrast Media
  • Diagnosis, Differential
  • Female
  • Follow-Up Studies
  • Gadolinium
  • Humans
  • Magnetic Resonance Angiography
  • Sinus Pericranii / diagnosis*
  • Ultrasonography, Doppler, Color

Substances

  • Contrast Media
  • Gadolinium