Walsh & Hoyt: Cerebral Venous Thrombosis: Anatomy and Physiology

The cerebral venous system consists of superficial and deep veins, all of which ultimately drain into the major dural venous sinuses and from these into the internal jugular veins. The superficial veins drain the outer 2 cm of cerebral cortex; the deep veins drain blood from the deep hemispheric white matter, basal ganglia, and diencephalon. The superficial veins are thin-walled, lacking a muscular wall and valves. They are inconstant, lack well-defined vascular territories, and are not readily visualized with neuroimaging. By contrast, the deep cerebral veins are larger, constant, and identifiable on imaging studies.