Skip to main content

Advertisement

SpringerLink
Log in

A revised classification of the temporal branches of the posterior cerebral artery

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

Abstract

Purpose

Understanding the vascular variability of the inferior temporal occipital regions is essential for microsurgical approaches to this cerebral zone. To this end, we carried out a microanatomical study of the inferior temporal cortical branches of the posterior cerebral artery (PCA) in order to define their vascularisation territories.

Methods

We studied 40 cerebral hemispheres (20 brains) under an operating microscope. Three brains were fixed in Winkler’s solution with latex arterial perfusion and the other 17 brains were fixed in formaldehyde solution.

Results

Our revised classification was based on the following findings. First, the anterior hippocampal artery was always associated with the anterior temporal artery, with the two sharing the vascularisation of the anterior part of the inferior temporal lobe. Second, the middle hippocampal and middle temporal arteries were never present together. Third, the presence of an anterior temporal artery always involved the presence of a posterior temporal artery. Hence, we classified the temporal branches of the PCA into three new patterns. The first pattern includes the anterior and posterior temporal arteries without the anterior hippocampal artery. The second pattern includes the anterior hippocampal artery and anterior and posterior temporal arteries. The third pattern includes the common temporal artery. The first pattern was found most frequently (n = 23, 57.5%), followed by the second (n = 9, 22.5%) and third patterns (n = 8, 20%).

Conclusions

We propose a revised classification of the inferior temporal branches of the PCA that takes into account their vascularisation territories.

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

References

  1. Campero A, Tróccoli G, Martins C, Fernandez-Miranda JC, Yasuda A, Rhoton AL Jr (2006) Microsurgical approaches to the medial temporal region: an anatomical study. Neurosurgery 59(4 Suppl 2):ONS279–ONS307

    Google Scholar 

  2. Choi C, Rubino PA, Fernandez-Miranda JC, Abe H, Rhoton AL Jr (2006) Meyer’s loop and the optic radiations in the transsylvian approach to the mediobasal temporal lobe. Neurosurgery 59(4 Suppl 2):ONS228–ONS235

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  3. Choi CY, Lee CH (2011) A parieto-occipital artery arising from ICA directly and resultant incomplete PCA. Surg Radiol Anat 33:641–643

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  4. Duvernoy HM (1988) The human hippocampus: an atlas of applied anatomy. Bergmann Verlag, Munchen

    Google Scholar 

  5. Duvernoy HM (1999) The human brain, surface, blood supply, and three-dimensional sectional anatomy. Springer, Wien

    Google Scholar 

  6. Erdem A, Yasargil G, Roth P (1993) Microsurgical anatomy of the hippocampal arteries. J Neurosurg 79:256–265

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  7. Fernandez-Miranda JC, de Oliveira E, Rubino PA, Wen HT, Rhoton AL Jr (2010) Microvascular anatomy of the medial temporal region: part 1: its application to arteriovenous malformation surgery. Neurosurgery 67(3 Suppl Operative):ons237–ons276

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  8. Figueiredo EG, Deshmukh P, Nakaji P, Crusius MU, Teixeira MJ, Spetzler RF, Preul MC (2010) Anterior selective amygdalohippocampectomy: technical description and microsurgical anatomy. Neurosurgery 66(3 Suppl Operative):45–53

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  9. Hori T, Kondo S, Takenobu A, Hirao J, Kohaya N, Takeuchi H, Watanabe T (1999) Retrolabyrinthine presigmoid transpetrosal approach for selective subtemporal amygdalohippocampectomy. Neurol Med Chir (Tokyo) 39(3):214–225

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  10. Huther G, Dorfl J, Van der Loos H, Jeanmonod D (1998) Microanatomic and vascular aspects of the temporomesial region. Neurosurgery 43(5):1118–1136

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  11. Jehi LE, DyC Silveira, Bingaman W, Najm I (2010) Temporal lobe epilepsy surgery failures: predictors of seizure recurrence, yield of reevaluation, and outcome following reoperation. J Neurosurg 113(6):1186–1194

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  12. Marinkovic S, Milisavljevic MM, Vuckovic VD (1991) Microvascular anatomy of the uncus and the parahippocampal gyrus. Neurosurgery 29:805–814

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  13. Marinkovic S, Gibo H, Milisavljevic MM, Djulejic V, Jovanovic VT (2005) Microanatomy of the intrachoroidal vasculature of the lateral ventricle. Neurosurgery 57:22–36

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  14. Milisavljevic MM, Marinkovic S, Gibo H, Puskas LF (1991) The thalamogeniculate perforators of the posterior cerebral artery: the microsurgical anatomy. Neurosurgery 28:523–530

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  15. Morandi X, Brassier G, Darnault P, Mercier P, Scarabin JM, Duval JM (1996) Microsurgical anatomy of the anterior choroidal artery. Surg Radiol Anat 18:275–280

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  16. de Oliveira EP, Tedeschi H, Siqueira MG, Ono M, Rhoton AL Jr, Peace D (1994) Anatomic principles of cerebrovascular surgery for arteriovenous malformations. Clin Neurosurg 41:364–380

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  17. Olivier A (1987) Commentary: cortical resections. In: Engel JJ (ed) Surgical treatment of the epilepsies. Raven Press, New York, pp 405–415

    Google Scholar 

  18. Parraga RG, Ribas GC, Andrade SE, de Oliveira E (2011) Microsurgical anatomy of teh posterior cerebral artery in three-dimensional images. World Neurosurg 75:233–257

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  19. Sindou M, Guenot M, Isnard J, Fischer C, Mauguiere F (2006) Temporo-mesial epilepsy surgery: outcome and complications in 100 consecutive adult patients. Acta Neurochir (Wien) 148:39–45

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  20. Tanriover N, Kawashima M, Rhoton AL, Ulm AJ, Mericle RA (2003) Microsurgical anatomy of the early branches of the middle cerebral artery: morphometric analysis and classification with angiographic correlation. J Neurosurg 98:1277–1290

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  21. Telles-Zenteno JF, Dhar R, Hernadez-Ronquillo L, Wiebe S (2007) Long-term outcome in epilepsy surgery: antiepileptic drugs, mortality, cognitive and psychosocial aspects. Brain 130:334–345

    Article  Google Scholar 

  22. Wen HT, Rhoton AL, de Oliveira E, Cardoso AC, Tedeschi H, Baccanelli M, Marino R Jr (1999) Microsurgical anatomy of the temporal lobe: part 1: mesial temporal lobe anatomy and its vascular relationships as applied to amygdalohippocampectomy. Neurosurgery 45(3):549–591

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  23. Yaşargil MG, Teddy PJ, Roth P (1985) Selective amygdalohippocampectomy: operative anatomy and surgical technique. Adv Tech Stand Neurosurg 12:93–123

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  24. Yasargil MG, KrayenBuhl N, Roth P, Hsu SPC, Yasargil DCH (2010) The selective amygdalohippocampectomy for intractable temporal limbic seizures. J Neurosurg 112:168–185

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  25. Zeal AA, Rhoton AL (1978) Microsurgical anatomy of the posterior cerebral artery. J Neurosurg 48:534–555

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgments

The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Laboratoire d’Anatomie, Faculté de Médecine, Avenue du Professeur Léon-Bernard, 35043, Rennes Cedex, France

    C. Haegelen, E. Berton, P. Darnault & X. Morandi

  2. Service de Neurochirurgie, CHU Pontchaillou, rue Henri Le Guilloux, 35033, Rennes Cedex 9, France

    C. Haegelen & X. Morandi

Authors
  1. C. Haegelen
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. E. Berton
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. P. Darnault
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. X. Morandi
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to C. Haegelen.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Haegelen, C., Berton, E., Darnault, P. et al. A revised classification of the temporal branches of the posterior cerebral artery. Surg Radiol Anat 34, 385–391 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00276-011-0921-8

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00276-011-0921-8

Keywords

Search

Navigation