Magnetic resonance venography (MRV)
The anatomy of the cerebral venous sinus is commonly assessed with magnetic resonance venography (MRV). Nevertheless, this technique is limited by the artifactual signal loss inside the transverse sinus due to in-plane flow and turbulence and cannot be performed in all subjects in the presence of contraindications.
The evaluation of the cerebral venous system, especially the dural venous sinuses, is most often performed using MR venography or Computed tomography venography.
Magnetic resonance venography (MRV) is an often overlooked and underappreciated technique. While MR angiography (MRA) has generated enormous interest, almost since its inception, academic and clinical applications of MRV are relatively meager by comparison. This is unfortunate, since MRV can be highly accurate, easy to perform and successful in many situations where other imaging techniques yield ambiguous results.
Several methods are available to image veins with MRI, including contrast-enhanced (CE) and non–contrast-enhanced (NCE) pulse sequences, many of which can be employed effectively with little or no modification from existing body MRI or MRA protocols. The range of techniques available provides great flexibility, but can also be confusing for inexperienced users, and choosing the best pulse sequence for a given clinical situation can sometimes be difficult. A article gives brief descriptions of the most common techniques employed in MRV along with their strengths and weaknesses, with the goal of providing a framework for effective MRV in the clinical setting 1).