ABSTRACT
Figure 22.10 The blood supply of the brain. (a) The origins of the carotid and vertebral vessels. The internal carotid arteries are a branch of the common carotid arteries and the vertebral arteries arise from the right and left subclavian arteries before following their path through fenestrations in the transverse processes of the cervical vertebra. (b) The arrival of these arteries at the base of the brain. The vertebral arteries fuse to form the single basilar artery and the basilar artery together with the two internal carotid arteries, form the feeder vessels for the circle of Willis. The main named branches of arteries on the base of the brain are given. (c) The areas of distribution of the anterior (A), posterior (P), and middle (M) cerebral arteries. Note the formation of the anterior spinal artery from the two vertebral arteries before they fuse to form the basilar artery. (Adapted from Scadding JW and Gibbs J. Neurological disease. In: Souhami RL and Moxham J, eds. Textbook of Medicine, 2nd edn. London: Churchill-Livingstone 1994, 896.)
Figure 22.11 Diagrammatic representation of cerebral venous drainage.
