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Intracranial Arteries Overview

Main Text

TERMINOLOGY

Abbreviations

• Anterior, middle, posterior cerebral arteries (ACA, MCA, PCA)
• Anterior, posterior communicating arteries (ACoA, PCoA)
• Basilar artery (BA)
• Vertebral artery (VA)
• Anterior, posterior inferior cerebellar arteries (AICA, PICA)
• Anterior choroidal artery (AChoA)
• Recurrent artery of Heubner (RAH)

GROSS ANATOMY

Anterior Circulation

• Internal carotid artery (ICA) and its branches + ACoA, PCoA

Posterior Circulation

• BA and its branches

IMAGING ANATOMY

Overview

• ICA

Proximal to termination gives off ophthalmic artery, AChoA, PCoA

Terminal bifurcation into ACA (smaller, medial), MCA (larger, lateral)

ACA has 4 segments

– Horizontal or precommunicating (A1) segment courses medially above optic chiasm, joined by ACoA to contralateral A1

– Vertical or postcommunicating (A2) segment courses superiorly in interhemispheric fissure, around corpus callosum genu

– Distal (A3) segment courses posteriorly under inferior free margin of falx cerebri, gives off cortical branches

– Perforating arteries arise from A1, ACoA

– RAH arises from distal A1 or proximal A2

MCA has 4 segments

– Horizontal (M1) segment courses laterally to sylvian fissure below anterior perforated substance, bi- or trifurcates

– “Genu” or “knee” of MCA is gentle posterosuperior turn toward lateral cerebral (sylvian) fissure

– Insular (M2) segments course within lateral cerebral fissure, over insula

– Opercular (M3) segments begin at top of insula, turn laterally in sylvian fissure to reach overhanging frontal/parietal/temporal operculae

– Cortical (M4) branches emerge from lateral cerebral fissure, course over hemispheric surface

– Perforating arteries arise from M1
• BA

Courses cephalad in prepontine cistern to terminal bifurcation ventral to midbrain

– Gives off AICA, superior cerebellar arteries ( SCAs ), pontine, midbrain perforating arteries

Bifurcates into PCAs, each of which has 4 segments

– Mesencephalic or precommunicating (P1) segment lies within interpeduncular cistern, curves posterolaterally from BA to PCoA junction

– Ambient (P2) segment extends from PCA-PCoA junction, curving around cerebral peduncles just above tentorium, above oculomotor nerve

– Quadrigeminal (P3) segment extends posteromedially from level of quadrigeminal plate

– Cortical (P4) branches arise from distal PCA at or just before reaching calcarine fissure

– Perforating branches arise from P1

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Mar 13, 2021 | Posted by admin in NUCLEAR MEDICINE | Comments Off

Main Text

TERMINOLOGY

Abbreviations

GROSS ANATOMY

Anterior Circulation

IMAGING ANATOMY

Overview

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