The posterior part of the human cerebral arterial circle (CAC): arterial caliber from gestational weeks 13 to 24

Abstract

Numerous studies have reported that all components of the cerebral arterial circle in the 4-month-old human fetus are more slender than adult vessels, and of equal caliber. After that period, a degree of caliber differentiation is present, especially at the level of the posterior communicating arteries. The aim of this study was to determine arterial diameters in the posterior part of the fetal cerebral arterial circle from the 4th month (IV) to the 6th (VI). One hundred and seventy-two fetal cerebral arterial circles were examined by means of a surgical microscope. It was determined that average diameters of the left (right) pre-communicating parts of the posterior cerebral artery ranged from 0.30 ± 0.03 (0.29 ± 0.02) mm in month IV, to 0.36 ± 0.04 (0.36 ± 0.03) mm during month V and up to 0.55 ± 0.22 (0.50 ± 0.18) mm in month VI. The average diameters of the left (right) posterior communicating artery ranged from 0.24 ± 0.02 mm (0.25 ± 0.02) in month IV, to 0.30 ± 0.03 mm (0.29 ± 0.05) during month V and up to 0.38 ± 0.08 (0.44 ± 0.10) in month VI. Gender differences between posterior cerebral artery and posterior communicating artery diameters were not significant. Average posterior cerebral artery diameters were significantly larger than posterior communicating artery diameters in months IV and V, but not in month VI. It was established that caliber differentiation in the posterior part of the cerebral arterial circle began from gestational month IV, and that gender differences in arterial diameters were not significant until month VI of gestation.

Calibrating Doppler Imaging of Preterm Intracerebral Circulation Using a Microvessel Flow Phantom

“…Extrapolating from descriptions of vessel anatomy in fetuses, the diameter of microvessels visualized with Doppler in cerebral white matter of a preterm infant between 24 and 30 weeks is expected to be between 50 and 100 μm (Kuban and Gilles, 1985 ; Anstrom et al, 2004 ). The large arteries of the circle of Willis of 24-week-old fetuses have diameters around 400–500 μm (Vasovic et al, 2007 ). High-frequency linear probes permit visualization of vessels with a diameter below 200 μm.…”