Abstract
The brain vascularization is extremely complex with a large range of possible vascular variants, providing for each individual an exclusive arterial and venous system configuration.
The overview of the arterial and venous brain vascular development presented is essential for the understanding of some vascular dispositions, such as the persistence of embryonic vessels/vascular patterns and complex vascular malformations, like the metameric syndromes.
The review of the fundamental aspects of the arterial circulation, including the description of the anterior and posterior circulation, arterial variants, and territories, provides the basis for the understanding of the diseases later discussed in other chapters.
The intracranial venous system is also overviewed, encompassing the dural sinus anatomy, the supratentorial and infratentorial superficial and deep venous anatomy, and the venous anastomosis. The development venous anomalies and sinus pericrannii are also discussed.
Radiology has contributed tremendously for the recent advances in brain vascular anatomy knowledge using the acquisition of high-resolution 3D DSA images and supraselective catheterization during endovascular procedures. Clinical neuroradiology plays a major role for the evaluation of brain vascular anatomy that is essential for the diagnosis and treatment (surgical or endovascular) of vascular diseases.
This publication is endorsed by: European Society of Neuroradiology (www.esnr.org).
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Abbreviations
- AA:
-
Aortic arch
- ACA:
-
Anterior cerebral artery(ies)
- AChA:
-
Anterior choroidal artery(ies)
- ACommA:
-
Anterior communicating artery
- AICA:
-
Anterior-inferior Cerebellar artery(ies)
- Ang-1:
-
Angiopoietin-1
- AV:
-
Arterio-venous
- AVM:
-
Arterio-venous malformation
- BA:
-
Basilar artery
- bFGF:
-
Basic fibroblast growth factor
- CAMS:
-
Cerebrofacial arteriovenous metameric syndromes
- CMS:
-
Cerebrofacial metameric syndromes
- CoW:
-
Circle of Willis
- CT:
-
Computed tomography
- CTV:
-
computed tomography venogram
- CVMS:
-
Cerebrofacial venous metameric syndromes
- DSA :
-
Digital subtraction angiogram
- DVA:
-
Development venous anomalies
- ECA:
-
External carotid artery(ies)
- ICA:
-
Internal carotid Artery(ies)
- LPChA:
-
Lateral posterior choroidal artery(ies)
- MCA:
-
Middle cerebral artery(ies)
- MIP:
-
Maximum intensity projection
- MPChA:
-
Medial posterior choroidal artery(ies)
- MRV:
-
Magnetic resonance venogram
- PCA:
-
Posterior cerebral artery(ies)
- PChA:
-
Posterior choroidal artery(ies)
- PCommA:
-
Posterior communicating artery(ies)
- PDGF:
-
Platelet derived growth factor
- PHACES:
-
Posterior cranial fossa malformations, hemangiomas, arterial anomalies, coarctation of the aorta and cardiac defects, and abnormalities of the Eye
- PICA:
-
Posterior-inferior cerebellar artery(ies)
- SAMS:
-
Spinal arteriovenous metameric syndromes
- SCA:
-
Superior cerebellar artery(ies)
- SMCs:
-
Smooth muscle cells
- SP:
-
Sinus pericranii
- SWI:
-
Susceptibility weighted image
- TA :
-
Trigeminal artery(ies)
- TOF:
-
Time of flight
- VEGF:
-
Vascular endothelial growth factor
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Vilela, P. (2019). Cranial vessel embryology and imaging anatomy. In: Barkhof, F., Jager, R., Thurnher, M., Rovira Cañellas, A. (eds) Clinical Neuroradiology. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-61423-6_20-1
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