Intracranial Venous Sinuses Characteristics Prior To And Following Resection Of Brain Tumors

Background: Intracranial pathologies often cause elevated intracranial pressure (ICP), which presence may be of great significance regarding the chosen treatment option as well as its timing. Radiography is routinely used to support the clinical diagnosis and to establish the etiology for the elevated ICP. The relation between increased ICP and cerebral venous sinuses dimensions has been previously demonstrated, mainly among patients diagnosed with idiopathic increased ICP. The relation between brain tumors and venous sinuses dimensions has not been established so far. The aim of this study was to investigate the relation between the presence of brain tumors and the characteristics of the large cerebral venous sinuses. Methods: A single center retrospective study was conducted. Patients diagnosed with brain tumors who were surgically treated at our medical center were enrolled. MRI based cerebral venous sinuses measurements were performed, prior to the surgical resection and following it. Results: The research group included 17 patients, primarily women (64%), aged 16-81 years. Brain pathologies included both benign and malignant tumors. The main cerebral venous sinuses were measured at 6 different locations before and after the resection procedure. Among all 6 measuring points there was a significant size increase following the operation. There was no significant difference in the results when addressing different types of tumors or anatomical location. Conclusion: This study presents an additional indirect method of establishing the existence of increased ICP, and emphasizes the role of cerebral venous sinuses in ICP control. Using this method may assist in clinical and radiological evaluation of patients diagnosed with brain tumors.