Posterior cerebral artery

Posterior cerebral artery

Outer surface of cerebral hemisphere, showing areas supplied by cerebral arteries. (Yellow is region supplied by posterior cerebral artery.)

The arterial circle and arteries of the brain. The posterior cerebral arteries (bottom forks) arise from the basilar artery (center).
Details
Source basilar artery (most common in adults)
Vein cerebral veins
Supplies occipital lobe of cerebrum
Identifiers
Latin arteria cerebri posterior
MeSH A07.231.114.228.700
Dorlands
/Elsevier
a_61/12153821
TA A12.2.07.082
FMA 50583

Anatomical terminology

The posterior cerebral artery (PCA) is one of a pair of blood vessels that supply oxygenated blood to the posterior aspect of the brain (occipital lobe) in human anatomy. It arises near the intersection of the posterior communicating artery and the basilar artery and connects with the ipsilateral middle cerebral artery (MCA) and internal carotid artery via the posterior communicating artery (PCommA).

Origin

The development of the PCA in fetal brain comes relatively late and arises from the fusion of several embryonic vessels near the caudal end of the PCommA supplying the mesencephalon and diencephalon of the fetus.[1] The PCA begins as such, as a continuation of the PCommA in the fetus with only 10–30% of fetuses having a prominent basilar origin.[2]

The fetal carotid origin of the PCA usually regresses as the vertebral and basilar arteries develop with the PCommA reducing is size. In most adults, the PCA sources from the anterior portion of the basilar artery. Only about 19% of adults retain PCommA dominance of the PCA with 72% having dominant basilar origin, and the rest having either equal prominence between PCommA and basilar artery, or a single exclusive source.[2]

Structure

The branches of the posterior cerebral artery are divided into two sets, ganglionic and cortical:

Central branches

Also known as the perforating branches:

Posterior cerebral artery

(Posterior) choroidal branches (occasionally referred to as a single artery, the posterior choroidal artery)

Not to be confused with the Anterior choroidal artery

Cortical branches

The cortical branches are:

Clinical relevance

Stroke

Signs and symptoms:Structures involved

See: Posterior cerebral artery syndrome

Peripheral territory (Cortical branches)

Central territory (Ganglionic branches)

See also

This article uses anatomical terminology; for an overview, see Anatomical terminology.

Additional images

Medial surface of cerebral hemisphere, showing areas supplied by cerebral arteries. Areas supplied by the posterior cerebral artery shown in yellow. 
The arteries of the base of the brain. Posterior cerebral artery labeled near center. The temporal pole of the cerebrum and a portion of the cerebellar hemisphere have been removed on the right side. Inferior aspect (viewed from below). 

References

  1. Osborn, Anne G.; Jacobs, John M. (1999), Diagnostic Cerebral Angiography, Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, p. 153, ISBN 978-0-397-58404-8
  2. 1 2 Krayenbühl, Hugo; Yaşargil, Mahmut Gazi; Huber, Peter; Bosse, George (1982), Cerebral Angiography, Thieme, pp. 163–165, ISBN 978-0-86577-067-6
  3. Atlas of Human Anatomy, Frank Netter

External links

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