The occipitotemporal vein: a cadaver, MRI and CT study

The vein of Labbe masquerading as an epidural abscess

The occipitotemporal vein (OTV) courses over the temporal lobe, connecting the superficial middle cerebral vein and the transverse sinus. This vein is rarely identifiable on computerized tomography (CT) scans and a large amount of contrast is needed to identify such a relatively small vessel. We present a 12-month-old male with acute coalescent mastoiditis and a subperiosteal abscess. An epidural abscess was suspected on pre-operative CT scan. No abscess was found on surgery. Based on the surgical finding, we determined that this misdiagnosis was due to a vascular variant, the occipitotemporal vein (vein of Labbe) that masqueraded as an abcess on the CT scan. Recognition of the vein of Labbe on CT scan is therefore essential for the appropriate management of otological and neurotological disease.

The lateral temporal vein: a cadaver, CT and MRI study

The author studied a superficial temporal vein, the "lateral temporal vein", which runs over the superior, middle and inferior temporal gyri on the lateral surface of the temporal lobe, and in front of the inferior anostomatic vein of Labbé. A search for this vein was undertaken in 20 cadavers, 200 CT and 200 MRI studies. The lateral temporal vein was present on both sides in 80% of cadavers, and seen on one or both sides in 0.5% of the CT studies, and in 24% of those using MRI. Although recognition of the lateral temporal vein appears to be of interest mainly from an anatomical perspective, it may be mistaken for a venous malformation on CT or MRI, especially when it is prominent and seen unilaterally.

Prominent occipitotemporal vein: an association with temporal lobe epilepsy?

Eight patients with a prominent occipitotemporal vein on MR imaging, and ipsilateral temporal lobe epilepsy are reported. The ages of the patients ranged from 2 months to 12 yr. There were five males and three females. Abnormal electroencephalographic (EEG) findings were evident in all the patients, and they had focal seizures. MR images revealed prominent (4 mm or more in width) occipitotemporal veins in the ipsilateral sides, and otherwise unremarkable findings. Three similar patients have previously been reported in the literature. We speculate that a prominent occipitotemporal vein may represent a consequence or a cause of a certain type of temporal lope epilepsy. Further clinicoradiologic studies are required to clarify the question raised by these observations.

MR imaging of Joubert's syndrome

Joubert's syndrome is a rare developmental defect of the cerebellar vermis associated with episodic hyperpnea and apnea, abnormal eye movements, and mental retardation. The condition is usually diagnosed clinically during the neonatal period. This article reports nine patients with the syndrome (six males, three females; ages ranging from 2.5 to 9 yrs), and describes MR imaging findings in seven of these. Besides the previously described characteristic and relatively common changes of the syndrome, the MR imaging findings in these patients revealed thinned optic tracts, enlarged temporal horns in the absence of hydrocephalus, high-signal of the cerebral periventricular white matter, abnormal signal in the decussation of the superior cerebellar peduncles, and abnormal embryonic vessels associated with the dysplastic folia of the cerebellar hemispheres.