The surgical anatomy of the relationships between the perforating and the leptomeningeal arteries.

OBJECTIVE

Despite detailed studies of the perforating arteries, their relationships with the leptomeningeal arteries are almost unknown. These relationships can be of great significance during neurosurgical operations.

METHODS

The arteries of the hemispheres, which ranged in number from 17 to 36, were injected with india ink or methylmethacrylate.

RESULTS

The perforating vessels were noted to arise from the following leptomeningeal arteries: the subcallosal branch of the anterior communicating artery (26.6%); the median artery of the corpus callosum (6.6%); the medial orbitofrontal (6.6%) and the olfactory branch (3.3%) of the anterior cerebral artery; the accessory middle cerebral artery (3.3%); the frontal and temporal branches of the middle cerebral artery (66.6%); the temporal branches of the internal carotid and the anterior choroidal arteries (25% each); the peduncular branch of the posterior communicating artery (4.8%); the peduncular, collicular and medial posterior choroidal branches of the posterior cerebral artery (40%); the cerebellar branches (100%); the long pontine branches (20-26.6%); the anterolateral branches (33.3%) of the basilar artery; and the anterolateral or the lateral medullary branches (35.3%) of the vertebral artery. From 19.4 to 100% of some leptomeningeal vessels originated in the large perforating arteries.

CONCLUSION

From 4.8 to 100% of certain groups of the perforating vessels originated in the leptomeningeal arteries. Occlusion of a leptomeningeal artery that gives rise to the perforating vessel(s) may lead to superficial and deep infarcts in the same patient.