Liu Denggao, Ma Xuchen, Li Baomin
Department of Radiology, Peking University School of Stomatology, Beijing 100081, China.
Zhonghua Kou Qiang Yi Xue Za Zhi. 2002 Jan;37(1):24-6.
To investigate the dangerous anastomasis between the external carotid artery and the intracranial arteries.
Angiograms of the external carotid artery in 250 cases were analyzed, including 35 cases of moyamoya and 215 cases of head and neck lesions.
The 35 cases of moyamoya, 14 middle meningeal arteries (MMA) were found to participate in the blood supply of the brain. In addition, 11 superficial temporal arteries and 7 occipital arteries supplied the brain. All the cases with ligated external carotid artery (ECA) had the pharyngo-occipital anastomasis. Moreover, the ophthalmic arteries in three cases were found to originate from the MMA.
The external carotid artery has a variety of anastomasis with the internal carotid artery (ICA) and the vertebral artery. Under such circumstances, special measures must be taken to circumvent inadvertent intracranial embolization.