Persistent primitive trigeminal artery

Last revised by Calum Worsley ◉ on 4 Aug 2023

Citation, DOI, disclosures and article data

Citation:

D'Souza D, Worsley C, C, et al. Persistent primitive trigeminal artery. Reference article, Radiopaedia.org (Accessed on 27 Sep 2023) https://doi.org/10.53347/rID-1865

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.53347/rID-1865

Permalink:

https://radiopaedia.org/articles/1865

rID:

1865

Article created:

2 May 2008, Donna D'Souza

Disclosures:

At the time the article was created Donna D'Souza had no recorded disclosures.

View Donna D'Souza's current disclosures

Last revised:

4 Aug 2023, Calum Worsley ◉

Disclosures:

At the time the article was last revised Calum Worsley had no financial relationships to ineligible companies to disclose.

View Calum Worsley's current disclosures

Revisions:

48 times, by 18 contributors - see full revision history and disclosures

Systems:

Vascular, Central Nervous System

Sections:

Anatomy

Tags:

refs, variant

Synonyms:

Persistent trigeminal artery
Persistent primitive trigeminal artery (PPTA)

Persistent primitive trigeminal artery (PPTA) is one of the persistent carotid-vertebrobasilar anastomoses. It is present in 0.1-0.6% of cerebral angiograms and is usually unilateral.

In utero, the trigeminal artery supplies the basilar artery before the development of the posterior communicating and vertebral arteries. The PPTA arises from the junction between petrous and cavernous internal carotid artery, and runs posterolaterally along the trigeminal nerve (41%), or crosses over or through the dorsum sellae (59%). Vertebral, posterior communicating and caudal basilar arteries are often hypoplastic.

There are 3 types of PPTA ⁵:

Saltzman type I: PPTA supplies the distal vertebrobasilar arteries. The posterior communicating artery is absent and the caudal basilar is absent or hypoplastic with hypoplastic distal vertebral arteries.
Saltzman type II: PPTA supplies the superior cerebellar arteries with the posterior cerebral arteries supplied by the posterior communicating artery
Saltzman type III: PPTA does not join the basilar artery, instead directly terminating as the
- type IIIa: superior cerebellar artery
- type IIIb: anterior inferior cerebellar artery
- type IIIc: posterior inferior cerebellar artery