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The bihemispheric posterior inferior cerebellar artery

  • Diagnostic Neuroradiology
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Abstract

Rarely, a solitary posterior inferior cerebellar artery (PICA) will supply both cerebellar hemispheres. We report four cases of this variant. We present a retrospective review of clinical information and imaging of patients undergoing angiography at our institution to identify patients with a bihemispheric PICA. There were four patients: three males and one female. One patient presented with a ruptured arteriovenous malformation, and one with a ruptured aneurysm. Two patients had normal angiograms. The bihemispheric PICA was an incidental finding in all cases. The bihemispheric vessel arose from the dominant left vertebral artery, and the contralateral posterior inferior cerebellar artery was absent or hypoplastic. In all cases, contralateral cerebellar supply arose from a continuation of the ipsilateral PICA distal to the choroidal point and which crossed the midline dorsal to the vermis. We conclude that the PICA may supply both cerebellar hemispheres. This rare anatomic variant should be considered when evaluating patients with posterior fossa neurovascular disease.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Radiology and Neurosurgery, Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Children’s Hospital, Boston, MA, USA

    Sean P. Cullen

  2. Service de Neuroradiologie Diagnostic et Thérapeutique, Hopital de Bicêtre-Université Paris-sud Orsay, 78 avenue du Gal, 94275 , Leclerc Le Kremlin Bicêtre, France

    Augustin Ozanne , Hortensia Alvarez  & Pierre Lasjaunias

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  1. Sean P. Cullen
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  2. Augustin Ozanne
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  3. Hortensia Alvarez
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  4. Pierre Lasjaunias
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Correspondence to Pierre Lasjaunias.

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Cullen, S.P., Ozanne , A., Alvarez , H. et al. The bihemispheric posterior inferior cerebellar artery. Neuroradiology 47, 809–812 (2005). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00234-005-1427-z

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00234-005-1427-z

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