Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Variations of the cerebellar arteries at CT angiography

  • Original Article
  • Published:
Surgical and Radiologic Anatomy Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Purpose

There are few studies that investigated variations of the cerebellar arteries, and the prevalence of some variations has not been reported. We aim to identify and evaluate variations of the cerebellar arteries using CTA.

Methods

The findings in 341 patients who underwent 64-slice CTA were reviewed for anatomical variations of the cerebellar arteries. We assessed variations and classified our findings to describe the results of our analysis. We attempted to create an anatomical model for CTA that is somewhat different from previous studies and described our findings according to vascular anatomy.

Results

Only 11.7 % of the 341 patients had all the cerebellar arteries without anatomical variations. Vertebral artery continuation as posterior inferior cerebellar artery (PICA) was found in 4.4 % of the patients. Absence of the anterior inferior cerebellar artery (AICA) was observed in 36.1 %, and absence of the PICA was observed in 6.7 % of the patients. The origin of the PICA was extradural in 71 (20.8 %) patients. Double origin of the PICA, PICA duplication, and fenestration were rarely found. Duplication of the AICA (7.9 %), and superior cerebellar artery (SCA) (20.5 %), and early bifurcation of SCA (9.4 %) were frequently observed. Superior cerebellar artery and posterior cerebral artery (PCA) common trunk and SCA originating from PCA were found 9.4 and 8.2 %, respectively.

Conclusion

Variations of the cerebral arteries can be easily evaluated by CTA. Recognizing and reporting them at cerebral CT angiography may be clinically important.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4
Fig. 5
Fig. 6

Similar content being viewed by others

Abbreviations

CT:

Computed tomography

DSA:

Digital subtraction angiography

SCA:

Superior cerebellar artery

AICA:

Anterior inferior cerebellar artery

PICA:

Posterior inferior cerebellar artery

MIP:

Maximum intensity projection

MPR:

Multiplanar reformatting

References

  1. Cho YD, Han MH, Lee JY (2011) Double origin of the posterior inferior cerebellar artery with juxta-proximal fenestration of caudal component. Surg Radiol Anat 33:271–273

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  2. Dimmick SJ, Faulder KC (2009) Normal variants of the cerebral circulation at multidetector CT angiography. Radiographics 29:1027–1043

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  3. Jayaraman MV, Mayo-Smith WW, Tung GA, Haas RA, Rogg JM, Mehta NR, Doberstein CE (2004) Detection of intracranial aneurysms: multi-detector row CT angiography compared with DSA. Radiology 230:510–518

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  4. Kiroğlu Y, Karabulut N, Oncel C, Akdogan I, Onur S (2010) Bilateral symmetric junctional infarctions of the cerebellum: a case report. Surg Radiol Anat 32:509–512

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  5. Lesley WS, Dalsania HJ (2004) Double origin of the posterior inferior cerebellar artery. AJNR Am J Neuroradiol 25:425–427

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  6. Lesley WS, Rajab MH, Case RS (2007) Double origin of the posterior inferior cerebellar artery: association with intracranial aneurysm on catheter angiography. AJR Am J Roentgenol 189:893–897

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  7. Oizumi T, Ohira T, Kawase T (2003) Angiographic manifestations and operative findings with 70 cases of hemifacial spasm: relation of common trunk anomalies. Keio J Med 52:189–197

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  8. Osborn AG (1999) Diagnostic cerebral angiography, 2nd edn. Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, Philadelphia

    Google Scholar 

  9. Parmar H, Sitoh YY, Hui F (2005) Normal variants of the intracranial circulation demonstrated by MR angiography at 3T. Eur J Radiol 56:220–228

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  10. Salas E, Ziyal IM, Bank WO, Santi MR, Sekhar LN (1998) Extradural origin of the posteroinferior cerebellar artery: an anatomic study with histological and radiographic correlation. Neurosurgery 42:1326–1331

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  11. Sanders WP, Sorek PA, Mehta BA (1993) Fenestration of intracranial arteries with special attention to associated aneurysms and other anomalies. AJNR Am J Neuroradiol 14:675–680

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  12. Sharifi M, Ungier E, Ciszek B (2010) Double posterior inferior cerebellar artery. Surg Radiol Anat 32:87–89

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  13. Shoja MM, Loukas M, Tubbs RS, D’Antoni A, DiLandro A, Curé JK (2012) An aberrant cerebellar artery originating from the internal carotid artery. Surg Radiol Anat 34:285–288

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  14. Siclari F, Burger IM, Fasel JH, Gailloud P (2007) Developmental anatomy of the distal vertebral artery in relationship to variants of the posterior and lateral spinal arterial systems. AJNR Am J Neuroradiol 28:1185–1190

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  15. Songur A, Gonul Y, Ozen OA, Kucuker H, Uzun I, Bas O, Toktas M (2008) Variations in the intracranial vertebrobasilar system. Surg Radiol Anat 30:257–264

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  16. Tasker AD, Byrne JV (1997) Basilar artery fenestration in association with aneurysms of the posterior cerebral circulation. Neuroradiology 39:185–189

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  17. Uchino A, Saito N, Okada Y, Kozawa E, Nishi N, Mizukoshi W, Inoue K, Nakajima R, Takahashi M (2012) Fenestrations of the intracranial vertebrobasilar system diagnosed by MR angiography. Neuroradiology 54:445–450

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  18. van Rooij SB, van Rooij WJ, Sluzewski M, Sprengers ME (2009) Fenestrations of intracranial arteries detected with 3D rotational angiography. AJNR Am J Neuroradiol 30:1347–1350

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  19. Wollschlaeger G, Wollschlaeger PB, Lucas FV, Lopez VF (1967) Experience and result with postmortem cerebral angiography performed as routine procedure of the autopsy. Am J Roentgenol Radium Ther Nucl Med 101:68–87

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

Download references

Conflict of interest

The authors have no conflict of interest to disclose.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Radiology, Izmir Tepecik Training and Research Hospital, Gaziler Cd No: 468, Yenişehir, 35110, Izmir, Turkey

    Yeliz Pekcevik

  2. Department of Radiology, Izmir Bozyaka Training and Research Hospital, Izmir, Turkey

    Ridvan Pekcevik

Authors
  1. Yeliz Pekcevik
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Ridvan Pekcevik
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Yeliz Pekcevik.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Pekcevik, Y., Pekcevik, R. Variations of the cerebellar arteries at CT angiography. Surg Radiol Anat 36, 455–461 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00276-013-1208-z

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00276-013-1208-z

Keywords

Search

Navigation