Anatomy of the Insular Arteries
Abstract
The human insula is regarded as the hidden fifth lobe, and as a result, macroscopic features including vascularity of the insula are neglected in undergraduate and even in postgraduate medical education. The vasculature of the insula is of interest to many medical professionals interested in neuroanatomy, neuroimaging, neurosurgery, etc. The vascularity of the insula affects its functionality, and its vessels are associated with many diseases, such as strokes, infarcts, arteriovenous malformations, varices and tumours of insula. The middle cerebral artery is the main blood supply of the insula. Cortical branches of the middle cerebral artery lie over the insula and provide short, middle, and long perforating arteries. Insuloopercular and terminal insular arteries have been discussed and depicted. Arteries of the insula are presented herein.
Keywords
Insular vessels Insular artery Middle cerebral artery Insuloopercular artery Perforating arteriesAbbreviations
- A
Insular apex
- ACA
Anterior cerebral artery
- Ag
Accessory gyrus
- AIP
Anterior insular point
- ALg
Anterior long gyrus
- ALs
Anterior limiting sulcus
- Ang
Branch to angular gyrus
- APr
Anterior parietal artery
- aPx
Pial arterial plexus
- ASg
Anterior short gyrus
- ATm
Anterior temporal branch
- Both
Transitional or mixed vascular area
- CN
Caudate nucleus
- Cn
Central sulcal artery
- Cn1
Central sulcal artery 1
- Cn2
Central sulcal artery 2
- Cns
Central insular sulcus
- Early IT
Early branch of middle cerebral artery suppling inferior trunk area
- Early ST
Early branch of middle cerebral artery suppling superior trunk area
- IC
Insular cortex
- ICA
Internal cerebral artery
- ILs
Inferior limiting sulcus
- IO
Insuloopercular artery
- IT
Inferior trunk of middle cerebral artery
- L
Limen of the insula
- LN
Lentiform nucleus
- LOF
Lateral orbitofrontal artery
- LPr
Long perforating artery
- LV
Lateral ventricle
- M1
First (sphenoidal) segment of middle cerebral artery
- M2
Insular segment of middle cerebral artery
- M3
Opercular segment of middle cerebral artery
- M4
Cortical segment of middle cerebral artery
- MCA
Middle cerebral artery
- MPr
Middle perforating artery
- MSg
Middle short gyrus
- MTm
Middle temporal branch
- Pal
Pallidum
- PCA
Posterior cerebral artery
- PIP
Posterior insular point
- PLg
Posterior long gyrus
- PLIC
Posterior limb of the internal capsule
- PlTm
Polar temporal artery
- PPr
Posterior parietal artery
- Pr
Perforating insular artery
- PreCn
Precentral sulcal artery
- PreCnI
Precentral insular vein
- PreCns
Precentral insular sulcus
- PreF
Prefrontal artery
- PSg
Posterior short gyrus
- PstCns
Postcentral insular sulcus
- PTm
Posterior temporal branch
- Put
Putamen
- SLs
Superior limiting sulcus
- SPr
Short perforating artery
- Ss
Short insular sulcus
- ST
Superior trunk of middle cerebral artery
- Stm
Stem artery
- Tg
Transverse gyrus
- TmO
Temporooccipital branch
- TrI
Terminal insular artery
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