Posterior cerebral artery

Changed by Yuranga Weerakkody, 31 Aug 2017

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The posterior cerebral arteries (PCA) are the terminal branches of the basilar artery and supply the occipital lobes and posteromedial temporal lobes.

Summary

~~origi~~origin: terminal branches of the basilar artery
course: from basilar towards occiput
main branches
supply: occipital lobes and posteromedial temporal lobes

Gross anatomy

The PCA is divided into four segments:

P1: from it origin at the termination of the basilar artery to posterior communicating artery (PCOM), within interpeduncular cistern
P2: from the PCOM around the mid-brain, divided into P2A (anterior) and P2P (posterior) sub-segments; P2A is within crural cistern which then bridges to the P2P segement in ambient cistern (thus ambient segment)
P3: quadrigeminal segment (segment with the quadrigeminal cistern)
P4: cortical segment (e.g. calcarine artery, within the calcarine fissure)

Branches

posterior communicating artery
choroidal branches (from P2)
- medial posterior choroidal arteries
- lateral posterior choroidal arteries
perforators
- anterior thalamoperforator (from PCOM)
- posterior thalamoperforator (from P1)
- thalamogeniculate perforator (from P2)
- peduncular perforator (from P2)
- circumflex (long and short)
cortical branches
- temporal branches
  - anterior temporal artery
  - posterior temporal artery
- lateral occipital artery
  - anterior inferior temporal artery
  - middle inferior temporal artery
  - posterior inferior temporal artery
- medial occipital artery
  - calcarine artery
  - parieto-occipital artery
- splenial artery

Variant anatomy

PCA fenestration: rare
fetal origin of PCA: unilateral incidence 10%, bilateral incidence 8%

~~-origi: terminal branches of the <a href="/articles/basilar-artery">basilar artery</a>~~
+origin: terminal branches of the <a href="/articles/basilar-artery">basilar artery</a>

References changed:

3. Pearse Morris. Practical Neuroangiography. (2007) ISBN: 9780781765152 - <a href="http://books.google.com/books?vid=ISBN9780781765152">Google Books</a>
1. Richard Lee Drake, Henry Gray, Wayne Vogl et al. Gray's Anatomy for Students. (2005) ISBN: 0443066760 - <a href="http://books.google.com/books?vid=ISBN0443066760">Google Books</a>
3. BCh PPMMB. Practical Neuroangiography. Lippincott Williams & Wilkins. (2007) ISBN:0781765153. <a href="http://books.google.com/books?vid=ISBN0781765153">Read it at Google Books</a> - <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0781765153">Find it at Amazon</a>
1. DSc SSP. Gray's Anatomy Edition. Churchill Livingstone. (2005) ISBN:0443066760. <a href="http://books.google.com/books?vid=ISBN0443066760">Read it at Google Books</a> - <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0443066760">Find it at Amazon</a>

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