Cavernous Sinus Lesions

Abstract

Cavernous sinuses are a pair of extradural spaces located laterally on both sides of the sella turcica. These interperiostodural spaces are very similar to the orbits and the anterior spinal epidural space, all of them being limited by meninges and periostea, and containing fat, vessels, and nerves. More precisely, cavernous sinuses contain on each side a large venous network draining the orbit and the cerebral temporal fossa, cranial nerves III, IV, V1, V2, and VI, the intracavernous internal carotid artery, and some fat. Cavernous sinuses communicate with each other via coronary sinuses. Lesions of cavernous sinus are numerous and are listed in Table 35.1. They may originate directly from the cavernous sinus itself or its walls, or invade secondarily the cavernous sinus from the neighboring structures. Of note, invasion by a pituitary adenoma is by far the most frequent lesion encountered in the cavernous sinus and has been extensively described in Chap. 11. Similarly, most cavernous sinus lesions are described in dedicated chapters throughout this book, and only those not presented elsewhere or that need further details are illustrated here.