Anterior inferior cerebellar artery
Citation, DOI, disclosures and article data
Citation:
Gaillard F, Sharma R, Elfeky M, et al. Anterior inferior cerebellar artery. Reference article, Radiopaedia.org (Accessed on 21 Mar 2025) https://doi.org/10.53347/rID-5014
rID:
5014
Article created:
Disclosures:
At the time the article was created Frank Gaillard had no recorded disclosures.
View Frank Gaillard's current disclosures
Last revised:
Disclosures:
At the time the article was last revised Rohit Sharma had no financial relationships to ineligible companies to disclose.
View Rohit Sharma's current disclosures
Revisions:
18 times, by
11 contributors -
see full revision history and disclosures
Systems:
Sections:
Synonyms:
- Anterior inferior cerebellar artery (AICA)
- AICA
The anterior inferior cerebellar artery (AICA) is one of three vessels that provides arterial blood supply to the cerebellum. It has a variable origin, course and supply, with up to 40% of specimens not having an identifiable standard AICA. The amount of tissue supplied by the AICA is variable (AICA-PICA dominance) but usually includes:
inferolateral portion of the pons
flocculus
anteroinferior surface of the cerebellum
On this page:
Gross anatomy
Origin
99% of AICAs arise from the basilar artery, but where along the vessel is variable:
75% lower third
16% middle third
9% vertebrobasilar junction
Branches
internal auditory branch (80% single, 20% double) passes into the IAM
lateral branch passes around the flocculus and into the hemispheric fissure (supplying both superior and inferior semilunar lobules)
medial branch supplies the biventral lobule
Variant anatomy
Clinical importance
Before cross-sectional imaging, the AICA (along with venous displacement) was used to identify posterior fossa intra- or extra-axial masses, especially at the CP angle. Extra-axial masses (e.g. vestibular schwannomas or meningiomas) would displace the vessel whereas intra-axial masses tend not to.
Quiz questions
References
- 1. P. Lasjaunias, Alejandro Berenstein, Karel ter Brugge. Clinical Vascular Anatomy and Variations. (2011) ISBN: 9783642074431 - Google Books
- 2. Hugo Krayenbühl, Mahmut Gazi Yaşargil, Peter Huber. Cerebral Angiography. (1982) ISBN: 9780865770676 - Google Books
Incoming Links
Articles:
- Pontine arteries
- Central nervous system curriculum
- Lateral pontine syndrome
- Superior cerebellar artery
- Cerebellar tonsils
- Brain arterial vascular territories
- Basilar artery
- Anterior inferior cerebellar artery loop
- Hemifacial spasm
- Anterior inferior cerebellar artery (AICA) infarct
- Posterior inferior cerebellar artery
- Prepontine cistern
- Pulsatile tinnitus
- Bilateral middle cerebellar peduncle lesions
- Gasperini syndrome
- AICA-PICA dominance
- Cerebellopontine angle cistern
- Vestibular paroxysmia
- Medium vessel occlusion
- Cerebellum
Cases:
- Anterior inferior cerebellar artery loop - type III
- Anterior inferior cerebellar artery loop (Type III)
- Anterior inferior cerebellar artery loop - type II
- AICA loop classification
- Anterior inferior cerebellar artery vascular loop - type III
- Bilateral cerebellar infarction
- Brainstem arterial territories (diagrams)
- Anterior inferior cerebellar artery vascular loop - type III
- Anterior inferior cerebellar artery vascular loop - type II
- Anterior inferior cerebellar artery vascular loop - type 1
- Anterior inferior cerebellar artery vascular loop - type II
- Anterior inferior cerebellar artery vascular loop - type II
- High jugular bulb and vascular loop
- Cerebellar arteries (annotated image)
- Posterior fossa vascular territories (illustration)
- Anterior inferior cerebellar artery vascular loop - type III
- Neurovascular compression syndrome - with facial palsy
- Normal internal acoustic meatus
Multiple choice questions:
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cerebrum
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cerebral hemisphere (telencephalon)
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