1: Vasculature of Brain Flashcards
List the major vessels of the brain and their principal branches. (3 major vessels, 9 principal branches)
POSTERIOR CIRCULATION (5)
-
Vertebral arteries
- Anterior spinal artery
- Posterior inferior cerebellar arteries (PICA)
-
Basilar artery (from two vertebrals)
- Anterior inferior cerebellar arteries (AICA)
- Superior cerebellar arteries
- Posterior cerebral arteries
ANTERIOR CIRCULATION (7)
-
Internal carotid arteries
- Ophthalmic branch: follows optic nerve
- Anterior choroidal artery: follows optic tract
- Posterior communicating arteries: connect posterior and anterior circulations
- Middle cerebral arteries
-
Anterior cerebral arteries
- Anterior communicating artery: interconnects two anterior cerebral arteries
Describe the various ways in which blood may circumvent obstruction of a major cerebral artery.
Circle of Willis is a prominent anastomotic pathway
-Can generally tolerate occlusion of one major branch if it occurs slowly
Discuss the concept of a watershed within the arterial system.
Watershed: the area in between the blood vessel distributions
Particularly vulnerable to damage by low blood pressure/cardiac arrest
Result of damage -> linear infarcts in the border zone between blood vessels
-Appear wedge-like axially
List the major arteries that supply the spinal cord and what areas they supply. How are they replenished as they continue down the spinal cord? Which “replenisher” is most notable?
Anterior spinal artery: largest, runs in ventral midline
-Supplies anterior 2/3 of spinal cord
Posterior spinal arteries (2): smaller
-Supply posterior 1/3 of spinal cord
Replenished by radicular branches from segmental arteries every 4-6 spinal segments
-Largest = artery of Adamkiewicz in lower thoracic region (vital to this region)
What artery supplies this area of the caudal medulla?
Posterior spinal artery
What artery supplies this area of the caudal medulla?
PICA
What artery supplies this area of the caudal medulla?
Vertebral artery
What artery supplies this area of the caudal medulla?
Anterior spinal artery
What artery supplies this area of the upper medulla?
PICA
What artery supplies this area of the upper medulla?
Vertebral artery
What artery supplies this area of the upper medulla?
Anterior spinal artery
What artery supplies this area of the middle pons?
AICA
What artery supplies this area of the middle pons?
Basilar artery
What artery supplies this area of the midbrain?
Posterior cerebral artery and superior cerebellar artery
What artery supplies this area of the midbrain?
Basilar artery
What artery supplies this distribution area?
Posterior cerebral artery
What artery supplies this distribution area?
Middle cerebral artery
What artery supplies this distribution area?
Anterior cerebral artery
What artery supplies this distribution area?
Posterior cerebral artery
What artery supplies this distribution area?
Middle cerebral artery
What artery supplies this distribution area?
Anterior cerebral artery
What are these arteries called? From which artery do they branch? What causes damage to these arteries, and what results?
Lenticulostriate arteries
From middle cerebral artery
Damage caused by age, stimulant abuse, diabetes, HTN
Result (these are end arteries) -> small, deep strokes; deep brain hemorrhages
What are bridging veins?
Veins that go from the cortex into the sinus
If torn, -> subdural hematomas
What sinus is this?
Superior sagittal sinus
