Anat Cell Biol.  2023 Dec;56(4):575-578. 10.5115/acb.23.177.

Azygos anterior cerebral artery associated with hypoplastic A1 fragment of right anterior cerebral artery

• Patnaik O
• Shahane P
• Chandrupatla M
• Raviteja P

• KMID: 2548925
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.5115/acb.23.177

Abstract

Anterior cerebral arteries are paired and supply the major portion of the medial surface of the brain. They are branches of the intracranial part of the internal carotid artery and form the anterior portion of the circle of Willis (CW) which is situated in the interpeduncular fossa. During routine dissection in the department of anatomy, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, Bibinagar, Hyderabad, a rare variation had been observed in the CW, azygos anterior cerebral artery associated with hypoplastic A1 fragment of the right anterior cerebral artery in a 63-year-old female cadaver. It is important to identify and study this kind of rare variation for surgeons, anatomists, and radiologists during dissection, surgical, radiological, and diagnostic interventions.

Keyword

Azygos anterior cerebral artery; Circle of Willis; Brain; Internal carotid artery; Skull

Figure

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  Fig. 1 Shows hypoplastic A1 fragment of anterior cerebral artery (ACA) and azygos ACA (AACA). A, right internal carotid artery (RICA); B, left ICA (LICA); C, normal A1 fragment of LACA; D, hypoplastic A1 fragment of RACA; E, AACA.

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  Fig. 2 Shows azygos anterior cerebral artery (AACA). A, right internal carotid artery (RICA); B, left ICA (LICA); C, normal A1 fragment of LACA; D, hypoplastic A1 fragment of RACA; E, AACA; F, left terminal branch; G, right terminal branch.

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  Fig. 3 Shows types of azygos anterior cerebral artery (AACA). Type I, classical AACA; Type II, short median stem of AACA with two terminal branches; Type III, two separate A2 fragments one short and one long; Type IV, azygos pericallosal artery; Type V, third azygos median A2 artery. Adapted from Gunnal et al. Neurol Asia 2013;18:249-59 [4].

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  Fig. 4 Shows normal anatomy illustration and variant illustration. Type IIa, the hypoplastic A1 and normal A1 fuse to form azygos anterior cerebral artery (AACA); A, hypoplastic A1 fragment of right RACA.

Reference

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