Vein of Galen
The vein of Galen, also known as the great cerebral vein or great vein of Galen, is a short trunk formed by the union of the two internal cerebral veins and basal veins of Rosenthal. It lies in the quadrigeminal cistern. It curves backward and upward around the posterior border of the splenium of the corpus callosum to drain into the confluence of the inferior sagittal sinus and the anterior extremity of the straight sinus. It arises as a normal structure in utero derived from the median prosencephalic vein of Markowski.
It receives numerous tributaries:
- callosal veins
- precentral cerebellar vein
- superior cerebellar veins
- inferior cerebral veins (draining medial inferior temporal lobe)
See also
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Anatomy: Brain
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brain
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cerebrum
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cerebral hemisphere (telencephalon)
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