Petrosal vein

The petrosal vein (superior petrosal vein; Petrosal vein complex; Dandy’s vein) may be formed by the terminal segment of a single vein or by the common stem formed by the union of up to 5 veins. The most common tributaries of the SPV are the transverse pontine and pontotrigeminal veins, the common stem of the superior cerebellar hemispheric veins, and the veins of the cerebellopontine fissure and the middle cerebellar peduncle.

The superior petrosal vein usually empty in the superior petrosal sinus into three different types (classification of Tanriover):

• Type I empty into the superior petrosal sinus above and lateral to the internal acoustic meatus

• Type II empty between the lateral limit of the trigeminal nerve at Meckel’s cave and the medial limit of the facial nerve at the internal acoustic meatus,

• Type III empty into the superior petrosal sinus above and medial to Meckel’s cave.