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Branches of the petrous and cavernous segments of the internal carotid artery
Author(s) -
Tubbs R. Shane,
Hansasuta Ake,
Loukas Marios,
Louis Jr Robert G.,
Shoja Mohammadali M.,
Salter E. George,
Oakes W. Jerry
Publication year - 2007
Publication title -
clinical anatomy
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.667
H-Index - 71
eISSN - 1098-2353
pISSN - 0897-3806
DOI - 10.1002/ca.20434
Subject(s) - medicine , internal carotid artery , cavernous sinus , external carotid artery , collateral circulation , anatomy , anastomosis , skull , ophthalmic artery , sinus (botany) , radiology , blood flow , surgery , botany , biology , genus
Microsurgical approaches to the skull base require a thorough knowledge of the microvasculature of this region. Interestingly, most standard texts of anatomy do not mention the branches of the internal carotid artery as it travels through the temporal bone and cavernous sinus. Although small and with often conflicting descriptions, these arterial branches may be of significance when contributing to the vascular supply of such pathological entities as meningiomas and vascular malformations. Furthermore, multiple anastomoses exist between these branches and branches of the external carotid artery, thus providing a potentially important collateral circulation between these two systems and thus retrograde flow needed to maintain the patency of the distal internal carotid artery (ICA) when this vessel is obstructed proximally. We review the literature regarding these branches of the internal carotid artery and their clinical significance. Clin. Anat. 20:596–601, 2007. © 2006 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.