J Korean Soc Radiol.  2011 Feb;64(2):103-108. 10.3348/jksr.2011.64.2.103.

Angiographic Pattern in the Early Branches of the Middle Cerebral Artery

• Lee CS
• Park JC
• Park JK
• Sim KB

• KMID: 2097923
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.3348/jksr.2011.64.2.103

Abstract

PURPOSE
The incidence of early branches arising from the prebifurcation trunk of the middle cerebral artery is very high. However, no reports have addressed these early branches of middle cerebral arteries in the Korean population. The purpose of this study was to characterize these early branches in Koreans.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
A retrospective review was performed on transfemoral cerebral angiograms performed at Jeju National University Hospital between May 2005 and March 2010. A total of 78 hemispheric angiogram sites met the study inclusion criteria. The digital subtraction anterior-posterior view was the basic image for the inspection, which was supplemented by a three-dimensional reconstructed image.
RESULTS
We identified 86 early branches of the middle cerebral artery in 58 (74.4%) out of 78 hemisphere angiogram sites. The type of early branches in the 78 hemispheric angiograms included 20 angiograms that were classified as Group I (25.6%), 23 as Group II A (29.5%), 10 as Group II B (12.8%), 7 as Group II C (9.0%), 7 as Group III (9.0%), and 11 as Group IV (14.1%).
CONCLUSION
The incidence of early branches arising from the prebifurcation trunk of the middle cerebral artery was found to be high in the Korean population and showed many morphological variations.

MeSH Terms

Cerebral Angiography
Incidence
Middle Cerebral Artery
Retrospective Studies

Figure

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  Fig. 1 Middle cerebral arteries show various branching patterns on digital subtraction angiographies.

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  Fig. 2 Three-dimentional angiography shows fenestrations of the middle cerebral artery on prebifurcation M1 segment (A) and postbifurcation M1 segment (B).

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  Fig. 3 Modified Tanriover classification of early branches arising from middle cerebral artery. Group I: no early branch. Group II A: single early temporal branch on proximal half of the prebifurcation M1 segment. Group II B: single early temporal branch on distal half of the prebifurcation M1 segment. Group II C: multiple early temporal branches. Group III: an early frontal branch or branches. Group IV A: single early temporal branch plus sing early frontal branch. Group IV B: multiple early temporal branches plus single early frontal branch. Group IV C: single early temporal branch plus multiple early frontal branch. Group D: multiple early temporal branches plus multiple early frontal branches.

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