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Great cerebral vein

The Great Cerebral Vein, commonly known as the vein of Galen, is a short, midline cerebral deep vein that plays a crucial role in draining blood from the deep structures of the brain. It is formed by the union of the two internal cerebral veins and receives blood from several important tributaries before draining into the straight sinus. Its significance in neuroimaging is underscored by its involvement in various vascular malformations and its easily identifiable position on cross-sectional imaging.

Synonyms:

  • Vein of Galen

  • Galenic vein

  • Vena magna cerebri

  • Great vein of Galen

Function:

  • Drains blood from deep cerebral structures, including the thalami, basal ganglia, and internal capsule.

  • Collects venous blood from internal cerebral veins, basal veins (of Rosenthal), and some inferior ventricular veins.

  • Conveys blood into the straight sinus, facilitating deep venous outflow from the brain.

MRI Appearance:

  • T1-weighted MRI:

    • The vein of Galen appears as a flow void (signal loss) due to fast-flowing blood; visualized as a well-defined, hypointense (dark) structure in the midline, posterior to the splenium of the corpus callosum.

  • T2-weighted MRI:

    • Also appears as a flow void (dark signal), similar to other fast-flowing venous structures.

    • The surrounding cerebrospinal fluid is hyperintense (bright), which helps to distinguish the vein as a dark linear or ovoid structure.

  • Phase Contrast 3D (PC 3D):

    • Demonstrates the direction and velocity of blood flow.

    • The great cerebral vein is visualized as a high-signal (bright) tubular structure within the deep midline, confirming patency and flow dynamics.

  • Post-Contrast T1-weighted MRI:

    • The vein of Galen enhances vividly (bright signal) after gadolinium administration, appearing as a well-defined, enhancing midline vein posterior to the third ventricle and corpus callosum.

    • Useful for identifying patency and any abnormal venous malformations or thrombosis.

CT & CTV Appearance:

  • Non-Contrast CT:

    • The vein itself is usually not well visualized unless enlarged or calcified.

    • Occasionally, a hyperdense (bright) linear structure may be seen if thrombosed or calcified.

  • CT Venography (CTV):

    • Clearly delineates the vein as a contrast-opacified (bright) midline tubular structure.

    • Excellent for assessing the patency, course, and presence of any venous malformation or thrombosis.

MRI images

Great cerebral vein (vein of Galen) MRI 3T axial image

MRI images

Great cerebral vein (vein of Galen) MRI 3T coronal image

MRI images

Great cerebral vein (vein of Galen) MRI 3Tmip image

CT images

Great cerebral vein (vein of Galen) ct image