A persistent primitive olfactory artery (PPOA) is a rare variant of the proximal anterior cerebral artery 1,2. It is proposed to be more prone to aneurysms due to its sharp hairpin-like turn. Embryologically, the persistent primitive olfactory artery is the rostral division of the primitive internal carotid artery.
Gross anatomy
There are two variants of persistent primitive olfactory artery 1:
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type 1
- arises from the internal carotid artery
- runs anteriorly along the olfactory tract
- hairpin turn to supply the territory of the distal anterior cerebral artery
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type 2
- arises from the anterior cerebral artery
- passes through the cribriform plate to supply the nasal cavity as the ethmoidal artery