Artery of Bernasconi and Cassinari
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At the time the article was created Peter Fawzy had no recorded disclosures.
View Peter Fawzy's current disclosuresAt the time the article was last revised Henry Knipe had no recorded disclosures.
View Henry Knipe's current disclosures- Marginal tentorial artery
- Medial tentorial artery
- Medial tentorial artery of Bernasconi–Cassinari
- Recurrent artery of Bernasconi and Cassinari
- Artery of Bernasconi-Cassinari
- Marginal tentorial artery of Bernasconi–Cassinari
The artery of Bernasconi and Cassinari, also known as medial or marginal tentorial artery (of Bernasconi–Cassinari), commonly arises from the cavernous segment of the internal carotid artery.
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Gross anatomy
The artery of Bernasconi and Cassinari is ~2 cm long and is an important branch of the meningohypophyseal trunk, originating from the cavernous segment of the internal carotid artery and runs along the tentorium.
It is usually a single trunk, supplying the meninges of the tentorium cerebelli, and often supplies the oculomotor, trochlear, and abducens nerves.
Another branch of the meningohypophyseal trunk supplying the tentorium is the lateral tentorial artery (also known as the lateral tentorial arcade) which shows a course laterally towards the sigmoid sinus and on lateral projections it points in a downward direction.
Radiographic appearance
Due to its small size, the artery of Bernasconi and Cassinari is poorly visualised on angiography in the absence of pathologically increased blood flow, like in tentorial tumours and tentorial dural arteriovenous fistula (DAVF). When seen, it has a wavy appearance on angiography.
History and etymology
It was first described in 1957 by V Bernasconi and V Cassinari in the setting of tentorial meningiomas 3,4.
Related pathology
Lesions arising from the tentorium cerebelli, such as tentorial dural arteriovenous fistulas may derive arterial blood supply from the artery of Bernasconi and Cassinari.
The artery of Bernasconi and Cassinari is also the most likely artery to be enlarged on an angiogram in tentorial meningiomas.
Occasionally, it may provide essential collateral blood flow to the posterior circulation.
References
- 1. Liu S, Lee DC, Tanoura T. Tentorial dural arteriovenous fistula of the medial tentorial artery. (2016) Radiology case reports. 11 (3): 242-4. doi:10.1016/j.radcr.2016.06.006 - Pubmed
- 2. R. Shane Tubbs, Ha Son Nguyen, Mohammadali M. Shoja, Brion Benninger, Marios Loukas, Aaron A. Cohen-Gadol. The medial tentorial artery of Bernasconi–Cassinari: a comprehensive review of its anatomy and neurosurgical importance. (2011) Acta Neurochirurgica. 153 (12): 2485. doi:10.1007/s00701-011-1195-y - Pubmed
- 3. BERNASCONI V, CASSINARI V. [Angiographical characteristics of meningiomas of tentorium]. (1957) La Radiologia medica. 43 (10): 1015-26. Pubmed
- 4. A.D. Banerjee, H. Ezer, A. Nanda. The Artery of Bernasconi and Cassinari: A Morphometric Study for Superselective Catheterization. (2011) American Journal of Neuroradiology. 32 (9): 1751. doi:10.3174/ajnr.A2552 - Pubmed
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