Foramen Oval Network

The network of the oval foramen (rete foramenis ovalis) is a network of veins located in the anterior upper part of the ethmoid labyrinth of the skull. It is a branch of the main network of cerebral veins (V. meningeus superior). Each vein runs along the ethmoid sinus, around the lateral foramen, and through the sphenoethmoidal syndesmosis. The venous canal networks form the superior and posterior nasal septa. An important advantage of this arrangement is that the localization of this network avoids direct trauma and can provide long-term hemostasis if the wound is small. Moreover, the localization of this network near the sphenoid sinus and the lower likelihood of air entering during injury reduce the risk of barotrauma. The small size of this zone gives it particular value in endoscopic operations, which makes it an important anatomical landmark in surgery of the anterior skull base. *Thus, the reticular networks of the foramen ovales are a complex structure of veins that play an important role in coordinating blood circulation in various structures of the skull, including the sphenoid sinus.*