Branches of the Persistent Primitive Trigeminal Artery???An Autopsy Case

Persistent Fetal Intracranial Arteries

“…In the case reported by Ohshiro et al (1993) the meningohypophyseal trunk and the artery of the inferior cavernous sinus branched off at the origin of the persistent trigeminal artery. The authors suggested that the persistent trigeminal artery, the meningohypophyseal trunk, and the artery of the inferior cavernous sinus could be closely linked in the embryo (Ohshiro et al 1993).…”

“…The most common sites of origin are the posterior bend or lateral wall of the intracavernous carotid artery (Parkinson and Shields 1974;Azab et al 2012). In one autopsy case, the persistent trigeminal artery originated from the posterior bend of the cavernous internal carotid artery to run posteriorly in the posterolateral space of the cavernous sinus (Ohshiro et al 1993). Salas et al (1998) reported the vessel to originate from the posterolateral aspect of the ascending cavernous segment of the internal carotid artery just medial to the sixth nerve, to make an acute inferolateral angle and follow a course below the sixth nerve immediately at the point of leaving the internal carotid to exit the cavernous sinus by piercing the reticular layer of the sinus wall, forming a posterior loop around the sphenopetrous (Gruber's) ligament, then running in the medial wall of the trigeminal (Meckel's) cave (Salas et al 1998).…”

“…In the remaining 41-50% of cases the persistent trigeminal artery runs lateral to the sella turcica (Ohshiro et al 1993). Ohshiro et al classified persistent trigeminal arteries into two types: a medial type in which the artery runs through the dorsum sellae and perforates the dura mater near the clivus; and a lateral type in which it runs between the sensory root of the trigeminal nerve and the lateral side of the sella to penetrate the dura mater medial to Meckel's cave (Ohshiro et al 1993). Inoue and colleagues reported that both the trigeminal and abducens nerves ran lateral to the persistent trigeminal artery in one specimen.…”

“…Ohshiro et al reported a case in which two branches from the cisternal portion of the persistent trigeminal artery were present. One branch sent a feeding artery to the left trigeminal nerve root and a perforating artery to the pons (Ohshiro et al 1993). The other perforated directly into the pons.…”

“…Salas et al described four pontine perforating branches originating from the intradural segment of the artery (Salas et al 1998). It is highly probable that these branches are functioning vessels in the brainstem even in adult cases since occlusion of the persistent trigeminal artery leads to ischemic lesions in the brainstem (Ohshiro et al 1993;Kwon et al 2010). Perforating arteries originating from the persistent trigeminal artery could be important supplies to the hindbrain (Azab et al 2012).…”