Intracranial Arteries Overview

Posterior cerebral arteries

Middle cerebral arteries

Anterior cerebral arteries

Posterior cerebral arteries

Middle cerebral arteries

Anterior cerebral arteries

Posterior cerebral arteries

Middle cerebral arteries

Anterior cerebral arteries

Middle cerebral arteries

Posterior cerebral arteries

Anterior cerebral arteries

Medial lenticulostriate arteries

Thalamoperforating arteries

Penetrating arteries from

vertebral, anterior spinal

arteries

Posterior inferior cerebellar

arteries

Pontine, midbrain perforating

branches from basilar artery

Lateral lenticulostriate

arteries

Anterior choroidal artery

Superior cerebellar artery

Anterior inferior cerebellar

arteries

(Top) The 3 major cerebral artery territories fit together like a jigsaw puzzle as they supply the hemispheres. ACA is depicted in green.

MCA is shown in red. The PCA is colored purple. The junction of territories forms the cortical watershed zone. The posterior confluence

where all 3 vascular distributions meet together, seen on the lower left at the vertex, is especially vulnerable to cerebral hypoperfusion.

(Bottom) Penetrating artery territories are shown in axial plane. PICA (tan) supplies inferior cerebellum, lateral medulla. Superior

cerebellar artery is shown in yellow, AICA in light blue. Medullary (aqua), pontine, and thalamic perforating arteries (light purple) are

derived from the vertebrobasilar territory. Anterior choroidal (magenta), lateral (medium blue), and medial (light green) lenticulostriate

arteries supply basal ganglia, caudate, much of corpus callosum.

GRAPHICS

Brain: Pathology-Based Diagnoses: Malformations,

Trauma, and Stroke

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