Posterior circulation [Neurosurgery Wiki]

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====== Posterior circulation ======

The posterior cerebral circulation (or simply, posterior circulation) is the blood supply to the posterior portion, including the [[occipital lobe]]s, [[cerebellum]] and [[brainstem]].

The posterior [[circulation]] consists of the 2 [[vertebral artery]], [[basilar artery]], 2 [[posterior cerebral artery]], and their branches
((Easton DJ, Fauci AS, Isselbacher KJ. [[Cerebrovascular disease]]. In: Anonymous Harrison's Principle of Internal Medicine. Fauci AS, Longo D, Kasper DL, Wilson JD, Martin JB, eds. New York, NY: McGraw Hill; 1998:2325–2348))
From these main vessels, many smaller vessels supply the posterior structures of the brain, including:

[[Posterior inferior cerebellar artery]]

[[Anterior inferior cerebellar artery]]

[[Superior cerebellar artery]]

This is the only vascular region in the body where 2 arteries unite to form a large arterial trunk that again divides in 2 major branches.

===== Anatomic variants =====

[[Fetal circulation]]: 15–35% of patients supply their [[posterior cerebral artery]] on one or both sides primarily from the carotid (via p-comm) instead of via the [[vertebrobasilar system]].
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Data indicate that congenital cerebrovascular variants in the [[posterior circulation]] and the associated cerebral [[hypoperfusion]] may be a factor in triggering [[arterial hypertension]]. Therefore, lowering blood pressure may worsen cerebral perfusion in susceptible individuals
((Warnert EA, Rodrigues JC, Burchell AE, Neumann S, Ratcliffe LE, Manghat NE,
Harris AD, Adams Z, Nightingale AK, Wise RG, Paton JF, Hart EC. Is High Blood
Pressure Self-Protection for the Brain? Circ Res. 2016 Dec 9;119(12):e140-e151.
Epub 2016 Sep 26. PubMed PMID: 27672161.
)).

===== Posterior circulation stroke =====

see [[Posterior circulation stroke]].

===== Posterior circulation aneurysm =====

see [[Posterior circulation aneurysm]].