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Superior cerebellar artery

Last revised by Ashesh Ishwarlal Ranchod on 3 Apr 2023

Citation, DOI, disclosures and article data

Citation:

Gaillard F, Ranchod A, Gajera J, et al. Superior cerebellar artery. Reference article, Radiopaedia.org (Accessed on 05 Oct 2024) https://doi.org/10.53347/rID-5013

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.53347/rID-5013

Permalink:

https://radiopaedia.org/articles/5013

rID:

5013

Article created:

17 Nov 2008, Frank Gaillard ◉ ◈

Disclosures:

At the time the article was created Frank Gaillard had no recorded disclosures.

View Frank Gaillard's current disclosures

Last revised:

3 Apr 2023, Ashesh Ishwarlal Ranchod ◉

Disclosures:

At the time the article was last revised Ashesh Ishwarlal Ranchod had no financial relationships to ineligible companies to disclose.

View Ashesh Ishwarlal Ranchod's current disclosures

Revisions:

16 times, by 7 contributors - see full revision history and disclosures

Systems:

Vascular, Central Nervous System

Sections:

Anatomy

Tags:

neuroanatomy, refs

Synonyms:

Superior cerebellar artery (SCA)
SCA

The superior cerebellar artery (SCA) arises from the distal basilar artery, just below the posterior cerebral artery (PCA) and typically supplies:

whole superior surface of the cerebellar hemispheres down to the great horizontal fissure
superior vermis
dentate nucleus
most of the cerebellar white matter
parts of the midbrain
superior cerebellar peduncle
middle cerebellar peduncle

Unlike the anterior inferior cerebellar artery (AICA) and posterior inferior cerebellar artery (PICA) the SCA is rarely absent. It is frequently duplicated:

unilateral duplication: 28%
bilateral duplication: 8%
triplication: 2%

The upper branch, when multiple, may arise from the PCA and usually supplies the vermis, whereas the lower branch supplies the hemisphere.

Segments

anterior pontine (or prepontine) segment
- courses laterally from its origin within the prepontine cistern
- runs alongside the oculomotor nerve, which separates it from the first segment of the PCA
ambient segment
- begins at the lateral margin of the pons coursing posteriorly through the ambient cistern
- turns posteriorly over the middle cerebellar peduncle
- runs alongside the trochlear nerve
quadrigeminal segment
- located in the lateral portion of the quadrigeminal cistern
- approaches the contralateral SCA near the midline

Branches

perforating branches
- pons
- midbrain
- inferior colliculus
lateral (marginal) branch
- largest branch of the SCA
- usually arises from the ambient segment
- runs posteriorly in the region of the interhemispheric fissure
- gives off hemispheric branches that course superiorly over the superior cerebellar hemisphere
hemispheric branches
- arise from the lateral (marginal) branch and from the SCA distal to the origin of the lateral branch also from the ambient segment
- supplies dentate nucleus
- superior vermis
- medial quadrigeminal lobule
- superior semilunar lobule
superior vermian
- terminal branch(es) of the SCA
- anastomose with inferior vermian branches of the PICA

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