Superior petrosal veins

• Anterior and lateral surfaces of the brainstem,
• Lateral and posterior medulla
• anterior pons

• Some of the lateral part of the tentorial and suboccipital surfaces

• Anterior cerebellum
• Petrosal surface

graph TD
  VMC["Veins of the Middle<br>Cerebellar Peduncle"]
  VCF["Veins of the<br>Cerebellopontine Fissure"]
  TPV["Transverse Pontine Veins"]
  SPV["Superior Petrosal Veins"]
  SPS["Superior Petrosal Sinuses"]

  VMC --> SPV
  VCF --> SPV
  TPV --> SPV
  SPV --> SPS

• A large branch of the superior cerebellar artery and the trigeminal nerve are enmeshed in the tributaries of this superior petrosal vein.

• Care is required to avoid occluding the superior cerebellar artery when occluding a multipronged petrosal vein.

• The right cerebellopontine angle is drained by a superior petrosal vein formed by the pontotrigeminal and transverse pontine veins and the vein of the cerebellopontine fissure.

• The tributaries of this superior petrosal vein include the
• Transverse pontine,
• Pontotrigeminal,
• Anterior hemispheric veins
• Vein of the cerebellopontine fissure.

• The posterior trigeminal nerve passes forward below the tentorial edge and the superior petrosal sinus to enter Meckel’s cave.

• The superior petrosal sinus extends medially through the upper edge of the porus of Meckel’s cave and above the trigeminal nerve to join the cavernous sinus.

• Some superior petrosal veins may join the sinus on the medial side of the trigeminal nerve.