Morphological Characteristics of the Thalamoperforating Arteries. |
Sukh Que Park, Hack Gun Bae, Seok Mann Yoon, Jai Joon Shim, Il Gyu Yun, Soon Kwan Choi |
1Department of Neurosurgery, Korea Cancer Center Hospital, Korea Institute of Radiological and Medical Science, Seoul, Korea. 2Department of Neurosurgery, Soonchunhyang University Cheonan Hospital, Cheonan, Korea. hgbaeb@schca.ac.kr 3Department of Neurosurgery, Soonchunhyang University Hospital, Seoul, Korea. |
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ABSTRACT |
OBJECTIVE The aim of this study was to investigate the morphological characteristics of the thalamoperforating arteries that arise from the P1 segment of the posterior cerebral artery. METHODS Thalamoperforating arteries located in the interpeduncular fossa were dissected in 26 formalin-fixed human cadaver brains. We investigated the origin site of thalamoperforating arteries from the P1 segment, number and diameter, and variations in their origin. RESULTS Thalamoperforating arteries arose from the superior, posterior or posterosuperior surfaces of the P1 segment at the mean 1.93 mm (range, 0.41-4.71 mm) distance from the basilar apex and entered the brain through the posterior perforated substance. The average number was 3.6 (range 1-8) and mean diameter was 0.70 mm (range 0.24-1.18 mm). Thalamoperforating arteries could be classified into five different types according to their origin at the P1 segment : Type I (bilateral multiple), 38.5%; Type II (unilateral single, unilateral multiple), 26.9%; Type III (bilateral single), 19.2%; Type IV (unilateral single), 11.5%; Type V (unilateral multiple), 3.8%. In 15.4% of all specimens, thalamoperforating arteries arose from the only one side of P1 segment and were not noted in the other side.
In such cases, the branches arising from the one side of P1 segment supplied the opposite side. CONCLUSION Variations in the origin of the thalamoperforating arteries should be keep in mind to perform the surgical clipping, endovascular treatment or operation involving the interpeduncular fossa. In particular, unilateral single branch seems to be very risky and significant for surgical technique or endovascular treatment. |
Key Words:
Morphology; Cadaver; Thalamoperforating artery; Posterior cerebral artery |
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