Branches and arterial supply of the recurrent artery of Heubner

Abstract

The aim of this study was to describe the branches and arterial supply of the recurrent artery of Heubner (RAH) in order to provide detailed information to neurosurgeons operating in this area of the brain. A total of 70 human brains (39 male and 31 female) obtained from cadavers (aged 31-75 years) during routine autopsies were examined; brains from individuals who died due to neurological disorders were not included in the study. Immediately after dissection the arteries were perfused with acrylic paint emulsion through the circle of Willis or electively through the RAH. Brains were fixed in a 10 % solution of formaldehyde and sectioned; the sections were analyzed under a stereoscopic light microscope (magnification 2-40×). The RAH was present in 138 hemispheres with a mean of 1.99 per hemisphere. Mean RAH length was 25.2 mm and the mean diameter, in its place of origin, was 1 mm. Between two and 30 (mean 9.4) branches originated from the stem of the RAH. Each branch then divided into 2-40 smaller branches (mean 19). Primary branches were divided and named in accordance with their course and arterial supply. Primary RAH branches include the anterior perforating substance, sylvian fissure, olfactory, frontal, hypothalamic, optic tract and connecting branches. Left and right hemispheres were asymmetrically supplied by RAH branches, but none of these discrepancies were of statistical significance.