Key Words

Arteries [anterior circulation (carotid, cerebral <middle, anterior, posterior>, [posterior circulation] vertebral, basilar

Lesson

The cerebral circulation can be divided into an anterior and a posterior circulation.  The anterior circulation comes off of the carotid artery. The posterior circulation begins as two vertebral arteries that join to form the basilar artery.  The internal carotid artery is the intracranial portion of the carotid artery.  The main branches of the internal carotid artery are the anterior cerebral artery, the anterior communicating artery, the middle cerebral artery and the posterior communicating artery.  Two vertebral arteries join to form the basilar artery.  The branches of the basilar artery include the posterior inferior cerebellar artery (“PICA”), the anterior inferior cerebellar artery (“AICA”), the superior cerebellar artery, and the posterior cerebral artery.