Superior cerebellar artery
| Superior cerebellar artery | |
|---|---|
|
The three major arteries of the cerebellum: the SCA, AICA, and PICA. | |
|
The arterial circle and arteries of the brain. (Superior cerebellar artery labeled at center right.) | |
| Details | |
| Source | basilar artery |
| Vein | Superior cerebellar veins |
| Supplies | Cerebellum |
| Identifiers | |
| Latin | Arteria cerebelli superior |
| Dorlands /Elsevier | a_61/12156101 |
| TA | A12.2.08.025 |
| FMA | 50573 |
The superior cerebellar artery (SCA) arises near the termination of the basilar artery.[1]
Structure
It passes lateralward, immediately below the oculomotor nerve, which separates it from the posterior cerebral artery, winds around the cerebral peduncle, close to the trochlear nerve, and, arriving at the upper surface of the cerebellum, divides into branches which ramify in the pia mater and anastomose with those of the anterior and posterior inferior cerebellar arteries.
Several branches are given to the pineal body, the anterior medullary velum, and the tela chorioidea of the third ventricle.
Function
The artery supplies:
- Superior half of the cerebellum
- Parts of the midbrain
Clinical significance
The SCA is frequently the cause of trigeminal neuralgia, where it compresses the trigeminal nerve causing lancinating pain in the distribution of this nerve on the patient's face. However, at autopsy, 50% of people without trigeminal neuralgia will also be noted to have vascular compression of the nerve.[2]
See also
References
This article incorporates text in the public domain from the 20th edition of Gray's Anatomy (1918)
- Handbook of Neurosurgery, Greenberg, M.D., Thieme 2006
External links
- Anatomy figure: 28:02-07 at Human Anatomy Online, SUNY Downstate Medical Center
- http://neuroangio.org/anatomy-and-variants/superior-cerebellar-artery/
- Anatomy diagram: 13048.000-1 at Roche Lexicon - illustrated navigator, Elsevier