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Persistent primitive trigeminal artery (Saltzman I)

Case contributed by Aneta Kecler-Pietrzyk
Diagnosis certain

Presentation

Patient admitted with posterior circulation symptoms including ataxia and vertigo. Normal non contrast CT brain. No prior medical or surgical history.

Patient Data

Age: 35 years
Gender: Female

Intracranial angiogram demonstrating communicating artery between distal basilar artery and left internal carotid artery (petrous and cavernous part) crossing over the dorsum sellae.

Additionally partially visualized vertebral arteries and proximal basilar artery are hypoplastic. 

Case Discussion

A persistent primitive fetal artery is one of the carotid-basilar anastomotic arteries. It is one of the very rare causes of vertigo and ataxia. 

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