Dural Venous Sinus Variations in Idiopathic Subarachnoid Hemorrhage: A New Indicator of the Venous Origin with Diagnostic Usefulness?

• Published in: World neurosurgery 2021-12, Vol.156, p.e266-e275
• Main Authors: Brugada-Bellsolà, Ferran, González-Crespo, Antonio, Pastor-Cabeza, Marta, Blanco Ibáñez de Opacua, Alberto, Remollo, Sebastian, Anglada-Oliván, Mireia, Misis, Maite, Domínguez, Carlos J., Rimbau, Jordi M., Rodríguez-Hernández, Ana
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Basal vein of Rosenthal; Cerebral Angiography; Cerebral Veins - physiopathology; Cranial Sinuses - abnormalities; Cranial Sinuses - pathology; Databases, Factual; Dural venous sinus variations; Female; Humans; Hyperplasia - diagnostic imaging; Idiopathic subarachnoid hemorrhage; Male; Middle Aged; Petrosal Sinus Sampling; Primitive drainage; Prospective Studies; Subarachnoid Hemorrhage - diagnosis; Subarachnoid Hemorrhage - pathology; Transverse Sinuses - abnormalities; Transverse Sinuses - diagnostic imaging; Venous bleeding
• ISSN: 1878-8750; 1878-8769
• DOI: 10.1016/j.wneu.2021.09.052

Venous hypertension associated with a primitive basal vein of Rosenthal (BVR) has been noted as the most likely cause of idiopathic subarachnoid hemorrhage (iSAH). Other types of venous drainage variations have been scarcely studied but may further explain the cases not associated with a BVR anomaly. Our aim was to investigate if dural venous sinus (DVS) anomalies are related with iSAH. A total of 76 patients diagnosed with iSAH were identified from a prospectively maintained database and their angiographic findings compared with 76 patients diagnosed with aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage. On top of the BVR variations, our data showed a higher prevalence of transverse sinus hypoplasia (47.4% vs. 28.9%; P = 0.019), superior petrosal sinus hypoplasia (32.9% vs. 13.2%; P = 0.003), and clival plexus hyperplasia (65.8% vs. 43.4%; P = 0.005) in patients with iSAH. Analyzing by total number of angiograms, the iSAH group showed also a higher prevalence of inferior petrosal sinus hyperplasia (36.2% vs. 25%; P = 0.003). Of the patients with iSAH without a primitive BVR, 84% harbored ≥1 perimesencephalic DVS variation and the overall number of venous drainage variations was significantly higher in patients with iSAH. In addition to the well-documented BVR anomalies, there seems to be a significant relationship of other DVS variations in patients with iSAH. Transverse sinus hypoplasia, superior petrosal sinus hypoplasia, inferior petrosal sinus hyperplasia, and clival plexus hyperplasia were significantly more frequent in patients with iSAH. The presence of ≥3 of those variations would increase the suspicion of a nonaneurysmatic subarachnoid hemorrhage and could help avoid a second angiogram.