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ARTERIAL SUPPLY OF THE BRAIN
1. INTERNAL CAROTID ARTERY
Arise from Course Branches Area of supply
1 Internal carotid artery (ICA)
Terminal branch of i) Carotid sinus at its beginning I) Cranial portion
common carotid ii) Ascends in the neck a. Ophthalmic artery
artery (CCA) iii) Enters cranial cavity b. Posterior communicating
through carotid canal artery (PComA)
*Right ICA & ECA iv) Runs horizontally forward c. Anterior choroidal artery
are terminal through the cavernous sinus d. Anterior cerebral artery
branches of right v) Perforates the dura mater & (ACA)
CCA that branched arachnoid mater to enter e. Middle cerebral artery
out from right subarachnoid space (MCA)
brachiocephalic vi) Terminates by dividing into
trunk anterior cerebral arteries II) Cavernous portion
(ACA) & middle cerebral a. Cavernous artery
*Left ICA branched arteries (MCA) b. Superior hypophyseal
out from arch of artery
aorta c. Inferior hypophyseal
artery
d. Ganglionic artery
e. Anterior meningeal
artery
a Cranial portion – Ophthalmic artery
Branches out from It enters orbit (cavity) through It supplies eyeball &
ICA after ICA optic canal lateral to optic other orbital structures.
emerges from nerve (CN II) (frontal & ethmoid sinuses,
cavernous sinus dorsum of nose, scalp frontal
area, lacrimal gland, etc.)
b Cranial portion – PComA
i) PcomA passes posteriorly i) Crus cerebri
across the crus cerebri, ii) Pituitary gland
above the oculomotor nerve iii) Mammillary body
(CN III) iv) Optic tract
ii) It terminates by joining the
posterior cerebral artery
(PCA)
c Cranial portion – Anterior choroidal artery
i) Anterior choroidal a. passes i) Choroid plexus of
posteriorly close to optic lateral ventricle
tract ii) Crus cerebri
ii) It enters the inferior horn of iii) Optic tract
lateral ventricle and supplies iv) Lateral geniculate
its choroid plexus body
v) Internal capsule
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d Cranial portion – Anterior Cerebral Artery (ACA)
Smaller branch of i) ACA is joined to the opposite I) Cortical branch (CorB) CorB:
ICA & runs in ACA by anterior ii) Central branch (CenB) i) Medial surface of cerebral
longitudinal fissure communicating artery (medial striate artery) cortex until parieto-occipital
(AComA) sulcus
ii) As ACA emerges from ii) Narrow strip (1 inch) at
AComA, it passes anteriorly superomedial border of the
and enters longitudinal lateral surface
fissure (thus supplies the leg area
iii) Curves backwards over of the precentral &
corpus callosum & postcentral gyrus)
anastomoses with PCA
CenB:
i) Lentiform nucleus
ii) Caudate nucleus
iii) Internal capsule
e Cranial portion – Middle Cerebral Artery (MCA)
Largest branch of Runs in lateral sulcus I) Cortical branch (CorB) CorB:
ICA & runs in ii) Central branch (CenB) i) Lateral surface of cerebral
lateral sulcus cortex except:
*Narrow strip supplied by ACA
*Inferolateral surface of cortex
& occipital pole
(supplied by PCA)
CenB:
i) Basal ganglia
ii) Internal capsule
a Cavernous portion – cavernous artery
Wall of cavernous sinus
b Cavernous portion – Superior hypophyseal artery
Pituitary gland
c Cavernous portion – Inferior hypophyseal artery
Pituitary gland
d Cavernous portion – Ganglionic artery
Trigeminal ganglion
e Cavernous portion – Anterior meningeal artery
Dura mater of anterior cranial
fossa
arrabi hl
ARTERIAL SUPPLY OF THE BRAIN
1. INTERNAL CAROTID ARTERY
Arise from Course Branches Area of supply
1 Internal carotid artery (ICA)
Terminal branch of i) Carotid sinus at its beginning I) Cranial portion
common carotid ii) Ascends in the neck a. Ophthalmic artery
artery (CCA) iii) Enters cranial cavity b. Posterior communicating
through carotid canal artery (PComA)
*Right ICA & ECA iv) Runs horizontally forward c. Anterior choroidal artery
are terminal through the cavernous sinus d. Anterior cerebral artery
branches of right v) Perforates the dura mater & (ACA)
CCA that branched arachnoid mater to enter e. Middle cerebral artery
out from right subarachnoid space (MCA)
brachiocephalic vi) Terminates by dividing into
trunk anterior cerebral arteries II) Cavernous portion
(ACA) & middle cerebral a. Cavernous artery
*Left ICA branched arteries (MCA) b. Superior hypophyseal
out from arch of artery
aorta c. Inferior hypophyseal
artery
d. Ganglionic artery
e. Anterior meningeal
artery
a Cranial portion – Ophthalmic artery
Branches out from It enters orbit (cavity) through It supplies eyeball &
ICA after ICA optic canal lateral to optic other orbital structures.
emerges from nerve (CN II) (frontal & ethmoid sinuses,
cavernous sinus dorsum of nose, scalp frontal
area, lacrimal gland, etc.)
b Cranial portion – PComA
i) PcomA passes posteriorly i) Crus cerebri
across the crus cerebri, ii) Pituitary gland
above the oculomotor nerve iii) Mammillary body
(CN III) iv) Optic tract
ii) It terminates by joining the
posterior cerebral artery
(PCA)
c Cranial portion – Anterior choroidal artery
i) Anterior choroidal a. passes i) Choroid plexus of
posteriorly close to optic lateral ventricle
tract ii) Crus cerebri
ii) It enters the inferior horn of iii) Optic tract
lateral ventricle and supplies iv) Lateral geniculate
its choroid plexus body
v) Internal capsule
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d Cranial portion – Anterior Cerebral Artery (ACA)
Smaller branch of i) ACA is joined to the opposite I) Cortical branch (CorB) CorB:
ICA & runs in ACA by anterior ii) Central branch (CenB) i) Medial surface of cerebral
longitudinal fissure communicating artery (medial striate artery) cortex until parieto-occipital
(AComA) sulcus
ii) As ACA emerges from ii) Narrow strip (1 inch) at
AComA, it passes anteriorly superomedial border of the
and enters longitudinal lateral surface
fissure (thus supplies the leg area
iii) Curves backwards over of the precentral &
corpus callosum & postcentral gyrus)
anastomoses with PCA
CenB:
i) Lentiform nucleus
ii) Caudate nucleus
iii) Internal capsule
e Cranial portion – Middle Cerebral Artery (MCA)
Largest branch of Runs in lateral sulcus I) Cortical branch (CorB) CorB:
ICA & runs in ii) Central branch (CenB) i) Lateral surface of cerebral
lateral sulcus cortex except:
*Narrow strip supplied by ACA
*Inferolateral surface of cortex
& occipital pole
(supplied by PCA)
CenB:
i) Basal ganglia
ii) Internal capsule
a Cavernous portion – cavernous artery
Wall of cavernous sinus
b Cavernous portion – Superior hypophyseal artery
Pituitary gland
c Cavernous portion – Inferior hypophyseal artery
Pituitary gland
d Cavernous portion – Ganglionic artery
Trigeminal ganglion
e Cavernous portion – Anterior meningeal artery
Dura mater of anterior cranial
fossa
arrabi hl
