Trigeminal artery: a review of normal and pathological features

Abstract

The persistent primitive trigeminal artery, as the most commonly carotid-vertebrobasilar anastomosis, has a reported incidence of 0.03-2.2% in the literature. There is female sex predilection, and it may be discovered in patients of any age, on either side, and in association with many vascular variants. Although the significance of persistent primitive trigeminal artery regarding the development of an aneurysm or association with another pathological condition may not be clear, its (ab)normal morphology is the inspiration for anatomists, especially for neurosurgeons, before planning diagnostic and therapeutic procedures.

Remnants of embryonic arteries on the brain base: A case report

“…Carotid-vertebrobasilar anastomoses (primitive trigeminal, otic, hypoglossal and proatlantal intersegmental arteries) are embryonic presegmental arteries supplying the primitive vertebrobasilar system from the primitive ICA [12][13][14][15]. The origin and termination of the right PCoA indicates the most cranial of the embryonic vessels connecting the anterior and posterior cerebral circulations.…”

Persistent Fetal Intracranial Arteries

“…The incidences reported in the recent study of O'uchi and O'uchi (2010), including 103 cases of persistent trigeminal artery and so-called primitive trigeminal artery variants, were as follows: 0.29% persistent trigeminal artery, 0.34% primitive trigeminal artery variants, and 0.03% unclassified type of persistent trigeminal artery. However, a case reported by Samra and colleagues was the only instance of persistent trigeminal arteries in a series of 1500 angiograms (0.06%), while De Bondt and colleagues found them in 2.2% of cases (Vasovic et al 2012). They were on the left side in six cases of a series of seven; in another series they were on the right side in five cases and on the left in three.…”

“…Persistence of the trigeminal artery is the most common case and accounts for approximately 80-85% of persistent anastomoses (Vasovic et al 2012). The trigeminal artery is the largest of the fetal carotid-basilar anastomotic arteries with an incidence of approximately 0.2%, and persists for the longest embryonic period (Takese et al 2004).…”

“…It communicates with the basilar artery between the origin of the superior cerebellar and anterior inferior cerebellar arteries (Vasovic et al 2012).…”

Bilateral Type II Persistent Proatlantal Intersegmental Arteries

“…The incidence of a persistent trigeminal artery is 0.03% to 2.2%, and that of a hypoglossal artery is 0.027% to 0.26%. 3 There are no published data available on the incidence of a PPIA. There is controversy as to whether otic arteries actually exist.…”