"Radicular veins form part of the venous drainage pathway for the conus medullaris and cauda equina 6, draining venous blood to the internal vertebral venous plexus and onto the systemic circulation 8."
"Time-resolved angiographic sequences (e.g. TWIST) may be the only reliable way to differentiate spinal arteries and veins 5."
Expected headings
"Signal characteristics"
"DSA (angiography)"
"Practical points"
"great radicular veins: few; 0.5-1.2 mm, around the thoracolumbar junction"
"accessory great radicular veins: common; accompany a lumbosacral nerve root or filum terminale"
"small radicular veins: numerous; microscopic; embedded in endoneurium"
"small radicular veins: numerous; microscopic; embedded in endoneurium"
"pathway for tumour spread: radicular veins connect to the Batson venous plexus through which tumour cells (especially prostate, breast, and lung cancers) can spread to the vertebral column and brain; this explains why spinal metastases are common even without direct arterial involvement 7"