Pediatric Sinus Pericranii

  • Etiology: Typically congenital but some may be post-traummatic
  • Imaging:
    — Venous anomaly communicating between scalp veins and dural venous sinuses
    — Commonly frontal or parietal
    — May be associated with atretic cephalocele
  • DDX:
  • Complications:
  • Treatment: Excision of extracranial component and ligation of communication
  • Clinical: Presents with painless scalp mass

Radiology Cases of Sinus Pericranii

CT and MRI and MRV of sinus pericranii
Sagittal CT without contrast of the brain (above left) shows an occipital skull defect just below the mass. Sagittal T1 MRI without contrast of the brain (above right) shows multiple small flow voids in the mass. MRV with contrast of the brain (below) shows a persistent falcine sinus.
CT of sinus pericranii
Sagittal (above left) and coronal (above right) CT without contrast of the brain in soft tissue windows show a prominent round vascular structure in the subcutaneous tissues near the vertex of the skull. Corresponding bone windows (below) show a skull defect centered just beneath the round vascular structure which is also in close proximity to the superior sagittal sinus.