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Case Reports
. 2025 Jan 4;47(1):54.
doi: 10.1007/s00276-024-03553-0.

Trigeminal artery anatomical aspects

Ionuț Bulbuc  1 , Dan Marcel Iliescu  2 , Constantin Dina  2 , Constantin Ionescu  2 , Petru Bordei  2
Affiliations
Case Reports

Trigeminal artery anatomical aspects

Ionuț Bulbuc et al. Surg Radiol Anat. .

Abstract

Purpose and background: The trigeminal artery is a rare anatomical variant, representing an embryonic vestige of the anastomosis between the internal carotid artery and the posterior circulator system, that can be asymptomatic or could have vast clinical manifestations produced by insufficient flow or by vascular nervous conflicts. This study is an anatomical presentation of 3 trigeminal artery cases observed at Medimar Imagistic Services Constanta.

Methods: The 3 trigeminal artery cases were discovered on a 860 magnetic resonance angiographies (0.35% of cases), made on a GE HD/e 8ch 1.5 T.

Results: In all 3 cases, the arteries were rising from the right internal carotid artery and one from the left internal carotid artery, in 2 cases the origin was on the superior surface, and in one case, on the anterolateral surface, in all 3 cases from C4 horizontal cavernous segment. The artery caliber was between 2.7 mm and 5.1 mm; the artery length was between 26 and 32 mm. Other associated vascular malformations were: partial or total basilar artery hypoplasia, in one case posterior communicant artery agenesis, contralateral vertebral artery hypoplasia, posterior cerebral artery hypoplasia (in 2 cases), and no anastomosis between the P1 segment of the posterior cerebral artery with the posterior communicating artery (one case).

Conclusions: While the trigeminal artery is a rare anatomical variant, it's still a very important vessel situated in the posterior cerebral fossa, which needs to be taken into account in the case of neurosurgical interventions.

Keywords: Anatomic aspects; Trigeminal artery.

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Conflict of interest statement

Declarations. Conflict of interests: The authors declare no competing interests. Ethical Approval: The study is in accordance with the local Ethics Commission (34490 / 08.08.2019) within the institution and respects the principles of the General Regulation on Personal Data Protection (EU) 679/2016. The research was conducted in accordance with the Helsinki Declaration and in compliance with all relevant national regulations regarding patient studies. Informed consent was obtained from the patients.

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Type 1 Saltzman trigeminal artery. ICA- Internal Cerebral Artery, BA Basilary Artery, TA Trigeminal Artery, SCA Superior Cerebellar Artery, PCA posterior cerebral artery
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
Type 2 Saltzman Trigeminal Artery. ICA Internal Cerebral Artery, BA Basilary Artery, TA Trigeminal Artery, SCA Superior Cerebellar Artery, PCA posterior cerebral artery, PComA Posterior Communicating Artery
Fig. 3
Fig. 3
Type 2 Saltzman Trigeminal Artery. ICA- Internal Cerebral Artery, BA Basilary Artery, TA Trigeminal Artery, SCA Superior Cerebellar Artery, PCA posterior cerebral artery, PComA Posterior Communicating Artery, AICA Anterior Inferior Cerebellar Artery
Fig. 4
Fig. 4
TOF sequence
Fig. 5
Fig. 5
VR reconstruction with length measurements
Fig. 6
Fig. 6
VR reconstruction, of Saltzman type 1 trigeminal artery and contralateral vertebral artery hypoplasia
Fig. 7
Fig. 7
TOF sequence demonstrating  basilar artery hypoplasia
Fig. 8
Fig. 8
TOF sequence with normal caliber basilar artery above trigeminală artery anastomosis
Fig. 9
Fig. 9
VR reconstruction demonstrating trigeminal artery
Fig. 10
Fig. 10
.Angle mesurent in TOF séquence
Fig. 11
Fig. 11
TOF sequence, the developed left posterior communicating artery
Fig. 12
Fig. 12
MIP of a TPF sequence demonstrating basilar artery  hypoplasia inferior to trigeminal artery
Fig.13
Fig.13
Coronal MIP of a TOF sequence  with right trigeminal artery
Fig. 14
Fig. 14
Axial MIP of TOF sequence of trigeminal artery anastomosing inferior to superior cerebellar artery
Fig. 15
Fig. 15
VR reconstruction of a TOF sequence, with a type II Saltzman trigeminal artery
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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