Persistent primitive olfactory artery: Diagnosis with MR angiography

We present a case of persistent primitive olfactory artery (PPOA) diagnosed with the aid of magnetic resonance (MR) angiography. The proximal right an terior cerebral artery (ACA) had an extremely long anteroinferomedial cours e along the ipsilateral olfactory tract, made a hairpin turn posterosuperio rly, and became a normal distal ACA. After reviewing the literature, we con sidered the proximal segment of this anomalous ACA to be a PPOA. To our kno wledge, this is the first report of a patient with this anomalous ACA diagn osed with MR angiography. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science Inc. All rights reserve d.