Posterior fossa emissary venous canal prevelance and visibility on standart computed tomography

Abstract

The aim of this study is to investigate the emissary venous channel prevelance and the visibility of these emissary venous canals in the posterior cranial fossa on standard Computerized Tomography in patients without intracranial pathology. Unenhanced Standard Brain Computerized Tomography images of 79 patients (25 males, 54 females; mean age, 41 ± 11 years) with normal findings were evaluated retrospectively. Mastoid emissary venous canal and occipital emissary venous canal measurements and visibility were evaluated in these Computerized Tomography images. A p value of <0.05 was considered statistically significant. The prevelance of mastoid emissary venous canal was 78.48% in the study group. The right mastoid emissary venous canal prevalence was 73.4%, the mean diameter was 2.05 ± 0.60 mm and the left mastoid emissary venous canal prevalence was 67.1%, the mean diameter was 1.76 ± 0.48 mm calculated. The prevalence of occipital emissary venous canal was 38% and the mean diameter was 2.02 ± 0.44 mm. The mastoid emissary venous canal diameter was found to be statistically significant in the right side compared to the left side (p <0.05). Preoperative evaluation of posterior fossa major emissary veins and venous canals that frequently encountered by radiologists in cross-sectional imaging can be done in standard brain Computerized Tomography scan.