Veins of the human cerebellum

(1) The veins of the human cerebellum, which may be classified into internal and external venous channels, correspond, in this respect, to the veins of the cerebral hemispheres. (2) The external cerebellar veins are arranged in three groups which, in turn, correspond to the three cerebellar surfaces and which communicate extensively. Accordingly, the terminal segments of the cerebellar veins overlap, which implies that no one-to-one relationship exists between the mouths of the individual veins and their respective distributions. (3) The terminal segments of the cerebellar veins are the superior petrosal sinus, the tentorial venous sinuses, the great vein of Galen and the internal vertebral plexus. (4) The tentorial venous channels may form a collateral venous arrangement. (5) The internal cerebellar veins consist of the nuclear veins and the medullary veins. (6) The medullary veins form a cortex-perforating group and a group located in the basal medullary region. The latter form a venous arborization of blood vessels not described thus far. This group of veins opens chiefly into the vein of the lateral recess of the fourth ventricle.(7) Attention is called to a 'venous watershed' corresponding to the one that exists in the cerebral hemispheres. (8) The veins of the dentate nucleus are composed of several venous channels draining its external surface and one single vein draining its internal surface. The latter has not been described thus far. The external veins of the dentate nucleus open into the venous star and the cortex-perforating veins. The internal nuclear vein, on the other hand, emerging from the hilum of the dentate nucleus, runs along the superior cerebellar peduncle. Thus, the term 'vena centralis nuclei dentati' appears to be appropriate to designate this vessel. It ultimately opens into the precentral cerebellar vein. (9) In certain places, various-colored substances used for injection form mixed pools.