An angiographic study on the morphometry of the anterior communicating artery complex- a South African sample.

PURPOSE

The anterior communicating artery complex (ACAC) comprises the A1 and A2 segments of the anterior cerebral artery (ACA) and the anterior communicating artery (ACoA). It is a common site for aneurysms and variations in anterior cerebral circulation. With ongoing advancements in endovascular intervention, there is an increasing need for detailed anatomical knowledge of the ACAC. This study was conducted to explore the anatomical measurements, including the length and diameter, of the ACAC in a South African population.

METHOD

The study involved the analysis of 200 adult magnetic resonance angiogram (MRA) scans (145 female, 55 male) from Groote Schuur Hospital, Department of Radiology, where the internal length and diameter of ACAC vessels were obtained.

RESULTS

The average internal length of the right and left A1 ACA segments was 13.5 (3.48) mm and 12.85 (2.57) mm, respectively. The internal diameter of the right and left ACA was 2.26 (0.45) mm and 2.25 (0.68) mm, respectively. For the A2 ACA, the average internal length for the right A2 ACA was 23.4 (3.94) mm, and the left A2 ACA had an average internal length of 23.7 (3.97) mm. The average internal diameter for the right and left A2 ACA was 2.3 (0.33) mm and 2.37 (0.78) mm, respectively. For ACoA, the average internal length was 1.5 (1.76) mm, and the average diameter was 0.85 (0.91) mm.

CONCLUSION

The morphometric parameters of the ACAC measured in this study were within similar ranges to those reported in previous international and national studies.