MR imaging of cavernous sinus lesions: Pictorial review

SummaryThe main purpose of this pictorial review is to highlight the important MR imaging findings of various conditions involving the cavernous sinus in addition to brief description of normal anatomy. The pathological conditions that can involve the cavernous sinus can be categorized into infective, inflammatory, granulomatous, vascular and neoplastic causes. Imaging, especially with MRI, plays an important role not only in detection but also in definition of disease extent and in characterization of the pathology. Currently, high-resolution MR images clearly show various components of cavernous sinus which help in making a proper diagnosis and thus appropriate further management.