The thalamogeniculate perforators of the posterior cerebral artery: the microsurgical anatomy.

The thalamogeniculate (TG) arteries of 30 forebrain hemispheres were examined. These vessels varied from 2 to 12 in number (mean, 5.7), and from 70 to 580 microns in caliber (mean, 345.8 microns). The average caliber of all the TG vessels per posterior cerebral artery ranged from 700 to 3400 microns (mean, 1972 microns). The TG arteries most often originated as individual vessels; however, in 26.67% of the hemispheres examined they shared a common site of origin, and 33.33% of the hemispheres they arose from common stems. The common stems ranged from 320 to 800 microns in diameter (mean, 583 microns). The TG branches arose from the crural or ambient (P2) segment of the posterior cerebral artery in 80% of the hemispheres, from the P2 and the quadrigeminal (P3) segment in 20%, from both the distal segment of the posterior cerebral artery and the common temporal artery (13.33%), or from the distal segment and either the calcarine (3.33%) or parieto-occipital artery (3.33%). The TG arteries usually penetrated the medial geniculate body (100%), pulvinar thalami (80%), brachium of the superior colliculus (53.33%), or lateral geniculate body (13.33%). The collateral branches of the TG arteries were noted to reach the medial geniculate body (76.67%), pulvinar (70%), brachium of the superior colliculus (40%), crus cerebri (40%), and lateral geniculate body (6.67%). The anastomoses were present in 66.67%, usually between the TG vessels and the medial posterior choroidal artery (33.33%), or the mesencephalothalamic artery (26.67%). They ranged in number from 1 to 3 (mean, 1.2), and in caliber from 90 to 400 microns (mean, 197 microns).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)