REVIEW Contribution of embryology in the understanding of cervical venous system anatomy within and around the transverse foramen: a review of the classical literature Elsa Magro • Bernard Se ´ne ´cail • Jean-Christophe Gentric • Zarrin Alavi • Olivier Palombi • Romuald Seizeur Received: 10 June 2013 / Accepted: 6 September 2013 Ó Springer-Verlag France 2013 Abstract Anatomic arrangement of venous system within the transverse foramen is a controversial topic among authors. Precise knowledge of this arrangement is necessary in imaging where vertebral artery dissection is suspected, as well as in surgical approaches of cervical spine. This knowledge objective cannot be achieved without a prerequisite knowledge of primitive venous system. We present here an update on the development of the transverse foramen venous system through a literature review. Our review of the classical literature aimed at synthesis of available related embryological knowledge and relating this synthesis to cervical vertebrae anatomy. Our findings with regard to different primitive descriptions were consistent and often complementary across the stud- ies. The description has varied from a single vertebral vein to a single vein divided at certain areas, or even to a confluence of venous plexus. In this manner, the embryonic knowledge for instance on venous system can help us to better understand the segmental development of vertebral veins and their plexus arrangement. Furthermore, the cra- nial–caudal embryology, in particular of the nervous sys- tem, conveys the initial plexiform arrangement of vertebral veins, which ends into a single venous trunk joining the subclavian vein. Keywords Vertebral veins Á Embryology Á Anatomy Introduction Anatomic arrangement of venous system within the transverse foramen is a controversial topic among authors as Labbe ´ and Trolard. Labbe ´ proposed a description involving a ‘‘venous confluence’’ and Trolard described a ‘‘transversovertebral venous sinus’’, as written in the article of Laux et al. [8]. The description has varied from a single vertebral vein to a single vein divided at certain areas, or even to a confluence of venous plexus [5–7, 12, 18]. In this manner the embryonic knowledge for instance on venous system can help us to better understand the segmental development of vertebral veins and their plexus arrangement. Precise knowledge of this arrangement is necessary in imaging where vertebral artery dissection is suspected, as well as in surgical approaches of cervical E. Magro (&) Á R. Seizeur Service de Neurochirurgie, Po ˆle Neurolocomoteur, CHU de la Cavale Blanche, Boulevard Tanguy Prigent, 29200 Brest, France e-mail: elsa.magro@chu-brest.fr R. Seizeur e-mail: romuald.seizeur@chu-brest.fr E. Magro Á B. Se ´ne ´cail Á R. Seizeur Faculte ´ de me ´decine, Laboratoire d’anatomie, Avenue Camille Desmoulin, 29200 Brest, France e-mail: bernard.senecail@univ-brest.fr E. Magro Á R. Seizeur INSERM, UMR 1101 LaTIM, Brest, France B. Se ´ne ´cail Á J.-C. Gentric Service de Radiologie, CHU Morvan, Avenue Foch, 29200 Brest, France e-mail: jean-christophe.gentric@chu-brest.fr Z. Alavi INSERM CIC 0502, CHU de la Cavale Blanche, Boulevard Tanguy Prigent, 29200 Brest, France e-mail: zarrin.alavi@chu-brest.fr O. Palombi Service de Neurochirurgie, CHU Michallon, Boulevard de la Tronche, 38700 Grenoble, France e-mail: OPalombi@chu-grenoble.fr 123 Surg Radiol Anat DOI 10.1007/s00276-013-1206-1