Variable Anatomy of the Middle Cerebral Artery from Its Origin to the Edge of the Sylvian Fissure: A Direct Fresh Brain Study

Figure 1

Double MCA consisting of the mMCA and the dpMCA arising from the distal part of the ICA and coexisting with hypoplasia of the anterior cerebral artery (ACA). (a) Atherosclerosis at the triple junction of the double MCA and hypoplastic ACA suggesting hemodynamic imbalance and representing a potential risk for aneurysm. (b) Origins of the dpMCA and mMCA a few millimeters apart in a location that is not associated with a high risk of hemodynamic disturbance. Early temporal (ET) and early frontal (EF) branches arising from the mMCA (a) and dpMCA (b), respectively, are shown. OT, olfactory tract; Pcom, posterior communicating artery.

(a)

(b)