Posterior cerebral artery
Updates to Article Attributes
Body
was changed:
The posterior cerebral arteries (PCA) are the terminal branches of the basilar artery and supply the occipital lobes and posteromedial temporal lobes.
SegmentsSummary
- 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 named P1 to P4:
- 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.
, calcarinecalcarine artery, within the calcarine fissure)
Normal variants
PCA fenestration - rare-
foetal origin of PCA; unilateral incidence 10%, bilateral incidence 8%
SummaryBranches
origin: terminal branches of thebasilar artery-
course: from basilar towards occiput -
branches:- posterior communicating artery
- medial posterior choroidal arteries
- lateral posterior choroidal arteries
- perforators
- anterior thalamoperforator (from PComm)
- posterior thalamoperforator (from P1)
- thalamogeniculate perforator (from P2)
- peduncular perforator (from P2)
- circumflex (long and short)
- 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
-
supply:occipital lobesand posteromedialtemporal lobes -
termination: -
variants:fetal PCOM-
arteryfoetal origin ofPercheronPCA: unilateral incidence 10%, bilateral incidence 8%
-<p>The <strong>posterior cerebral arteries (PCA) </strong>are the terminal branches of the <a href="/articles/basilar-artery">basilar artery</a> and supply the occipital lobes and posteromedial temporal lobes.</p><h4>Segments</h4><p>The PCA is divided into four segments named P1 to P4:</p><ul>- +<p>The <strong>posterior cerebral arteries (PCA) </strong>are the terminal branches of the <a href="/articles/basilar-artery">basilar artery</a> and supply the occipital lobes and posteromedial temporal lobes.</p><h4>Summary</h4><ul>
-<strong>P1:</strong> from it origin at the termination of the basilar artery to <a href="/articles/posterior-communicating-artery">posterior communicating artery (PCOM)</a>, within interpeduncular cistern.</li>-<li>-<strong>P2:</strong> 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)</li>- +<strong>origin</strong>: terminal branches of the <a href="/articles/basilar-artery">basilar artery</a>
- +</li>
-<strong>P3:</strong> quadrigeminal segment (segment with the <a href="/articles/quadrigeminal-cistern-1">quadrigeminal cistern</a>)</li>- +<strong>course</strong>: from basilar towards occiput</li>
-<strong>P4:</strong> cortical segment (e.g., calcarine artery, within the <a href="/articles/calcarine-fissure">calcarine fissure</a>)</li>-</ul><h4>Normal variants</h4><ul>-<li>PCA fenestration - rare</li>- +<strong>main branches</strong><ul>
- +<li><a href="/articles/posterior-communicating-artery">posterior communicating artery</a></li>
-<a href="/articles/fetal-pcom-1">foetal origin of PCA</a>; unilateral incidence 10%, bilateral incidence 8%</li>-</ul><h5>Summary</h5><ul>- +<a href="/articles/medial-posterior-choroidal-artery">medial</a> and <a title="lateral posterior choroidal arteries" href="/articles/lateral-posterior-choroidal-arteries">lateral posterior choroidal arteries</a>
- +</li>
- +<li><a href="/articles/lateral-posterior-choroidal-artery">lateral posterior choroidal arteries</a></li>
- +<li><a href="/articles/calcarine-artery">calcarine artery</a></li>
- +</ul>
- +</li>
-<strong>origin</strong>: terminal branches of the <a href="/articles/basilar-artery">basilar artery</a>- +<strong>supply</strong>: <a href="/articles/occipital-lobe">occipital lobes</a> and posteromedial <a href="/articles/temporal-lobe">temporal lobes</a>
- +</ul><h4>Gross anatomy</h4><p>The PCA is divided into four segments:</p><ul>
-<strong>course</strong>: from basilar towards occiput</li>- +<strong>P1:</strong> from it origin at the termination of the basilar artery to <a href="/articles/posterior-communicating-artery">posterior communicating artery (PCOM)</a>, within interpeduncular cistern.</li>
- +<li>
- +<strong>P2:</strong> 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)</li>
-<strong>branches</strong>:<ul>- +<strong>P3:</strong> quadrigeminal segment (segment with the <a href="/articles/quadrigeminal-cistern-1">quadrigeminal cistern</a>)</li>
- +<li>
- +<strong>P4:</strong> cortical segment (e.g. calcarine artery, within the <a href="/articles/calcarine-fissure">calcarine fissure</a>)</li>
- +</ul><h5>Branches</h5><ul>
-</ul>-</li>-<li>-<strong>supply </strong>: <a href="/articles/occipital-lobe">occipital lobes</a> and posteromedial <a href="/articles/temporal-lobe">temporal lobes</a>-</li>- +</ul><h4>Variant anatomy</h4><ul>
- +<li>PCA fenestration: rare</li>
-<strong>termination </strong>:</li>-<li>-<strong>variants </strong>:<ul>-<li><a href="/articles/fetal-pcom-1">fetal PCOM</a></li>-<li><a href="/articles/artery-of-percheron">artery of Percheron</a></li>-</ul>-</li>- +<a href="/articles/fetal-pcom-1">foetal origin of PCA</a>: unilateral incidence 10%, bilateral incidence 8%</li>
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