dural venous sinuses dural venous sinuses the dural venous sinuses (also called dural sinuses, cerebral sinuses, or cranial sinuses) are venous sinuses (channels) found between the endosteal and meningeal layers of dura mater in the brain. they receive blood from the cerebral veins, and cerebrospinal fluid (csf) from the subarachnoid space via arachnoid granulations. they mainly empty into the internal jugular vein. dural venous sinusesillustration of the dural venous sinusesdural venous sinusesdetailsidentifierslatinsinus durae matrismeshd003392ta98a12.3.05.101ta24846fma76590anatomical terminology venous sinuses namedrains to anterior sphenoparietal sinuses cavernous sinuses cavernous sinusessuperior and inferior petrosal sinuses midline superior sagittal sinus typically becomes right transverse sinus or confluence of sinuses inferior sagittal sinus straight sinus straight sinustypically becomes left transverse sinus or confluence of sinuses posterior occipital sinus confluence of sinuses confluence of sinusesright and left transverse sinuses lateral superior petrosal sinus transverse sinuses transverse sinusessigmoid sinus inferior petrosal sinusinternal jugular vein sigmoid sinusesinternal jugular vein structure the walls of the dural venous sinuses are composed of dura mater lined with endothelium, a specialized layer of flattened cells found in blood and lymph vessels. they differ from other blood vessels in that they lack a full set of vessel layers (e.g. tunica media) characteristic of arteries and veins. it also lacks valves (in veins; with exception of materno-fetal blood circulation i.e. placental artery and pulmonary arteries both of which carry deoxygenated blood). clinical relevance main article: cerebral venous sinus thrombosis the sinuses can be injured by trauma in which damage to the dura mater, may result in blood clot formation (thrombosis) within the dural sinuses. other common causes of dural sinus thrombosis include tracking of infection through the ophthalmic vein in orbital cellulitis. while rare, dural sinus thrombosis may lead to hemorrhagic infarction or cerebral edema with serious consequences including epilepsy, neurological deficits, or death. additional images dural veins sagittal section of the skull, showing the sinuses of the dura. dura mater and its processes exposed by removing part of the right half of the skull, and the brain. the sinuses at the base of the skull. major sinuses and their tributaries