Arterial pattern of human brainstem

Publisher Website
Google Scholar
Abstract
A microangiographic investigation was performed of the normal arterial pattern in the human midbrain, pons, and medulla oblongata and of its deformation in supratentorial expanding conditions. The material comprised 31 autopsies without and 31 with supratentorial expansivity. In 11 of the latter the expanding condition was evoked experimentally by inflation of a balloon inserted epidurally in the body. In the normal angiograms, marked variations in the angles formed between the paramedian arteries and the longitudinal axis of the brain stem were observed at different levels. These variations may be decisive for the formation and localization of brainstem hemorrhages secondary to supratentorial expanding conditions. In most cases of expanding supratentorial conditions there was a caudal displacement of the brainstem. This caused a marked elongation and also probably ruptures of the paramedian arteries in the lowest part of the midbrain and in the upper pons, since these arteries also ran in a caudal direction. The supratentorial expanding conditions studied also caused, in most cases, an antero-posterior elongation of the brainstem which resulted in an elongation of all the paramedian arteries, especially those in the upper and middle midbrain and in the middle pons which ran in the same direction as the anteroposterior elongation.