Vascular supply to the brain
Describing the vascular territory of an acute or chronic infarct is an important when the infarct is in the cerebral or cerebellar hemisphere, but not as important for the basal ganglia and brainstem, where the vascular supply is more complex.
Frontal Lobe
- Medial: ACA
- Lateral: MCA
Parietal Lobe
- Medial: ACA
- Lateral: MCA
Occipital Lobe
- PCA
Temporal Lobe
- Lateral: MCA
- Medial: PCA
Caudate
- Head: ACA
- Body & Tail: MCA (lenticulostriate arteries)
Putamen/Globus Pallidus
- Main supply: MCA (lenticulostriate arteries)
- Other supply: anterior choroidal artery (branch of the ICA)
Thalamus
- Main: PCA
- Other: anterior choroidal artery (branch of the ICA)
Midbrain
- Main: basilar artery
- Other: PCA, SCA
Pons
- Main: basilar artery
- Other: AICA, SCA
Medulla
- PICA, anterior spinal artery, vertebral arteries
Cerebellar Hemispheres
- Above middle cerebellar peduncles: SCA
- At level of middle cerebellar peduncles: SCA
- Below middle cerebellar peduncles: PICA
Middle Cerebellar Peduncles
- AICA
Cerebellar Vermis
- Superior: SCA
- Middle: AICA
- Inferior: PICA
See also
Reporting Infarcts in CT Head wo, by RadClerk