Citation, DOI, disclosures and article data
Citation:
Deng F, Sharma R, Sattar A, et al. Sigmoid sinus dehiscence. Reference article, Radiopaedia.org (Accessed on 19 Feb 2025) https://doi.org/10.53347/rID-65946
Sigmoid sinus dehiscence, also known as sigmoid plate dehiscence, refers to a defect in the sigmoid plate such that the sigmoid sinus is not separated by bone from the air in the mastoid air cells.
Although patients may be asymptomatic, sigmoid sinus diverticulum and dehiscence, which many studies group together, is the most frequent venous cause of pulsatile tinnitus 1-3.
CT
CT with or without contrast identifies the "air-on-sinus" sign, in which there is no bony separation between a lateral portion of the sigmoid sinus and the air within mastoid air cells 4.
Treatment and prognosis
Surgical treatment consists of sigmoid sinus wall reconstruction/resurfacing, using soft tissue graft, hydroxylapatite cement, and/or autologous bone pâté 5.
-
1. Dong C, Zhao PF, Yang JG, Liu ZH, Wang ZC. Incidence of vascular anomalies and variants associated with unilateral venous pulsatile tinnitus in 242 patients based on dual-phase contrast-enhanced computed tomography. (2015) Chinese medical journal. 128 (5): 581-5. doi:10.4103/0366-6999.151648 - Pubmed
-
2. Schoeff S, Nicholas B, Mukherjee S, Kesser BW. Imaging prevalence of sigmoid sinus dehiscence among patients with and without pulsatile tinnitus. (2014) Otolaryngology--head and neck surgery : official journal of American Academy of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery. 150 (5): 841-6. doi:10.1177/0194599813520291 - Pubmed
-
3. Mattox DE, Hudgins P. Algorithm for evaluation of pulsatile tinnitus. (2008) Acta oto-laryngologica. 128 (4): 427-31. doi:10.1080/00016480701840106 - Pubmed
-
4. Lansley JA, Tucker W, Eriksen MR, Riordan-Eva P, Connor SEJ. Sigmoid Sinus Diverticulum, Dehiscence, and Venous Sinus Stenosis: Potential Causes of Pulsatile Tinnitus in Patients with Idiopathic Intracranial Hypertension?. (2017) AJNR. American journal of neuroradiology. 38 (9): 1783-1788. doi:10.3174/ajnr.A5277 - Pubmed
-
5. Zeng R, Wang GP, Liu ZH, Liang XH, Zhao PF, Wang ZC, Gong SS. Sigmoid Sinus Wall Reconstruction for Pulsatile Tinnitus Caused by Sigmoid Sinus Wall Dehiscence: A Single-Center Experience. (2016) PloS one. 11 (10): e0164728. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0164728 - Pubmed
Promoted articles (advertising)