5 Blood supply of the brain
Arterial Supply of the Forebrain
Anterior cerebral artery (Figure 5.2)
Table 5.1 Named corticala branches of the anterior cerebral artery
Branch | Territory |
---|---|
Orbitofrontal | Orbital surface of frontal lobe |
Polar frontal | Frontal pole |
Callosomarginal | Cingulate and superior frontal gyri; paracentral lobule |
Pericallosal | Corpus callosum |
a The term cortical is conventional. Terminal is better, because these arteries also supply the underlying white matter.
Middle cerebral artery (Figure 5.3)
Table 5.2 Cortical branches of the middle cerebral artery
Origin | Branch(es) | Territory |
---|---|---|
Stem | Frontobasal | Orbital surface of frontal lobe |
Anterior temporal | Anterior temporal cortex | |
Upper division | Prefrontal | Prefrontal cortex |
Precentral | Premotor areas | |
Central | Pre- and postcentral gyri | |
Postcentral | Postcentral and anterior parietal cortex | |
Parietal | Posterior parietal cortex | |
Lower division | Middle temporal | Midtemporal cortex |
Temporooccipital | Temporal and occipital cortex | |
Angular | Angular and neighboring gyri |
Note: Additional information on the blood supply of the internal capsule is provided in Chapter 35.
Posterior cerebral artery (Figures 5.2 and 5.5)
Close to its origin, each posterior cerebral artery gives branches to the midbrain and a posterior choroidal artery to the choroid plexus of the lateral ventricle. Additional, central branches are sent into the posterior perforated substance (Figure 5.1). The main artery winds around the midbrain in company with the optic tract. It supplies the splenium of the corpus callosum and the cortex of the occipital and temporal lobes. Named cortical branches and their territories are given in Table 5.3.
Table 5.3 Named cortical branches of the posterior cerebral artery
Branch | Artery |
---|