European Journal of Anatomy

Official Journal of The Spanish Society of Anatomy
Cover Volume 24 - Number 5
Eur J Anat, 24 (5): 371-379 (2020)

Morphological evaluation of the choroidal arteries. A direct anatomic study

Natalia García Corredor1, Pedro L. Forero Porras2, Luis E. Ballesteros Acuña3

1Master's student in Biomedical Basic Sciences. Faculty of Health, Universidad Industrial de Santander. Bucaramanga, Colombia, 2Department of Pathology, Faculty of Health, Universidad Industrial de Santander. Bucaramanga, Colombia, 3Department of Basic Sciences, Faculty of Health, Universidad Industrial de Santander. Bucaramanga, Colombia

ABSTRACT The Anterior Choroidal Artery (AChA), the Lateral Posterior Choroidal (LPChA) and the Medial Pos-terior Choroidal Arteries (MPChA) provide blood supply to the choroid plexus of the lateral ventricle and third ventricle. The objective of this study was to evaluate the morphology of the choroidal arter-ies in 74 unclaimed male cadavers, who under-went necropsy at the Institute of Legal Medicine and Forensic Sciences of Bucaramanga, Colom-bia. The AChA originated from the Internal Carotid Artery (ICA) in 96.6% of the cases, with a length of 10.1 ± 1.5 mm and 15.2 ± 1.7 mm for its pre-optic and post-optic segments respectively and had a diameter of 0.6 ± 0.16mm. The AChA originated branches to the optic tract (5.2), the anterior and posterior segment of the uncus of the hippocam-pus (3.4 and 2.4) and cerebral peduncles (2.6), before penetrating through the choroidal fissure. The MPChA originated from the pre-communicating segment of the posterior cerebral artery (ACP) in 97 cases (70.3%), its length was 38.1 ± 5.85 mm and its diameter 0.4 ± 0.14 mm; in three cases (2.2%) it was doubled. 46.3% of the MPChA presented proximal bifurcation at 8.7 ± 5.47 mm of their ACP origin, but in 17 cases (26.6%) an early bifurcation was found (less than 5 mm). The LPChA originated in the post-communicating segment (94.2%), without signifi-cant differences in presentation side (p= 0.189). Its length was 37.6 ± 7 mm and its diameter 0.5 ± 0.16 mm. The findings related to the site of origin, global dimensions and branches of the choroidal arteries observed in the present study are con-sistent with those reported in other population groups. This study, carried out in cadaveric materi-al, provides relevant qualitative and morphometric information of the choroidal arteries, useful for di-agnosis and clinical management, as well as for surgical approaches that may compromise this structure.

Keywords: Anterior choroidal artery â?? Posterior choroidal artery â?? Posterior cerebral artery â?? Posterior communicating artery â?? Cerebral arteries â?? Choroid plexus â?? Optic tract

European Journal of anatomy
ISSN 2340-311X (Online)