Dural veins. (Transverse sinuses labeled as "SIN. TRANS." at center right.
|- style="text-align: center;" class="hiddenStructure"
| colspan="2" |
|- style="text-align: center; line-height: 1;" class="hiddenStructure"
| colspan="2" |The transverse sinuses are formed by the tentorium cerebelli and drain into the right and left sigmoid sinuses.
|- class="hiddenStructure"
|Latin
|colspan="2"|sinus transversus
|- class="hiddenStructure"
|
|colspan="2"|[subject #171 ]
|- class="hiddenStructure"
|Drains from
|colspan="2"|confluence of sinuses, superior sagittal sinus
|- class="hiddenStructure"
|Drains to
|colspan="2"|sigmoid sinuses
|- class="hiddenStructure"
|Artery
|colspan="2"|
|- class="hiddenStructure"
|MeSH
|colspan="2"|[A07.231.908.224]
|- class="hiddenStructure"
|Dorlands/Elsevier
|colspan="2"|[/]
|}
For the transverse pericardial sinus, see pericardial sinus.
Each transverse sinus passes lateralward and forward, describing a slight curve with its convexity upward, to the base of the petrous portion of the temporal bone, and lies, in this part of its course, in the attached margin of the tentorium cerebelli; it then leaves the tentorium and curves downward and medialward to reach the jugular foramen, where it ends in the internal jugular vein.
The transverse sinuses are frequently of unequal size, that formed by the superior sagittal sinus being the larger; they increase in size as they proceed from behind forward.
On transverse section the horizontal portion exhibits a prismatic, the curved portion a semicylindrical form.
They receive the blood from the superior petrosal sinuses at the base of the petrous portion of the temporal bone; they communicate with the veins of the pericranium by means of the mastoid and condyloidemissary veins; and they receive some of the inferior cerebral and inferior cerebellar veins, and some veins from the diploë.
The petrosquamous sinus, when present, runs backward along the junction of the squama and petrous portion of the temporal, and opens into the transverse sinus.
