Middle cerebral veins

Middle cerebral veins
Outer surface of cerebral hemisphere, showing areas supplied by cerebral arteries. (Middle cerebral veins not labeled, but region drained is roughly equivalent to pink region.)
Lateral sulcus (Middle cerebral veins not visible, but veins run in lateral sulcus.)
Details
Drains to	cavernous sinus, basal vein
Artery	middle cerebral artery
Identifiers
Latin	Venae media cerebri
Anatomical terminology

The middle cerebral veins are the superficial middle cerebral vein and the deep middle cerebral vein.

• The superficial middle cerebral vein (superficial Sylvian vein) begins on the lateral surface of the hemisphere, and, running along the lateral sulcus, ends in the cavernous or the sphenoparietal sinus.
• The deep middle cerebral vein (deep Sylvian vein) receives tributaries from the insula and neighboring gyri, and runs in the lower part of the lateral sulcus.

Relations

The superficial middle cerebral vein is connected:

1. with the superior sagittal sinus by the superior anastomotic vein (vein of Trolard) which opens into one of the superior cerebral veins;
2. with the transverse sinus by the inferior anastomotic vein (vein of Labbé) which courses over the temporal lobe.

Sagittal section of the skull, showing the sinuses of the dura. (Cerebral veins labeled at center left.)

Additional Images

• 
  Meninges and superficial cerebral veins.Deep dissection.Superior view.
• 
  Base of brain. (Lateral fissure visible at top left.)

References

This article incorporates text in the public domain from the 20th edition of Gray's Anatomy (1918)