Anatomic and clinical correlations of the lenticulostriate arteries

The authors examined the lenticulostriate (perforating) arteries in the vas cular casts of 48 middle cerebral arteries (MCA), as well as in the MRI or CT scans of 32 patients with cerebral infarcts in the MCA territory. The le nticulostriate arteries ranged between two and 12 in number, and from 80 mu m to 1,400 mum in size. They originated from the main trunk, terminal trunk s, bifurcation site, and/or leptomeningeal branches of the MCA, either sepa rately or from common trunks (70.8%). The extreme variations of the supplyi ng region of the perforators were noted in seven anatomic specimens. Ln add ition to the basal ganglia, the genu, and the anterior limb of the internal capsule, the lenticulostriate arteries seemed to supply only the rostral p ortion of the superior part of the posterior limb of the capsule. The patie nts presented with occlusion of all the lenticulostriate arteries, individu al arteries, or only their twigs. Complete occlusion of these arteries resu lted in a huge central hemispheric infarct. Occlusion of an individual arte ry most often caused a large ganglionic-capsular infarct. The authors concl uded that the lacunar infarcts usually follow occlusion of a terminal or a side branch of the lenticulostriate arteries. (C) 2001 Wiley-Liss, Inc.