Primitive arteries are persistent fetal anastomoses between the carotid and vertebrobasilar circulation. Although rare, persistent primitive arteries can remain at birth.

see Persistent trigeminal artery

see Persistent primitive hypoglossal artery

A 73-year-old woman presented with cerebral infarction to the posterior circulation caused by symptomatic common carotid artery stenosis with an unnamed and extremely rare persistent primitive artery. This anomalous vessel branched from the extracranial internal carotid artery and passed through the ipsilateral jugular foramen into the posterior cranial fossa and merged into the basilar artery.

This is the first case of a persistent primitive artery passing through the jugular foramen with symptomatic common carotid artery stenosis ¹⁾.