Embryology and variations of the recurrent artery of Heubner.

PURPOSE: The recurrent artery of Heubner (RAH) is a very fascinating artery for various reasons. The first one is its early development in the embryologic and phylogenic life. The second one is the discrepancy between its diameter and its functional importance and the last but not least reason is the many variations of origin and course of this artery.

METHODS

For more than a century, numerous studies furnished important information about variations in origin, course, and parenchymal territory of the RAH. The most important anomaly concerning the RAH is the accessory middle cerebral artery and well-illustrates the complexity of its embryologic development.

CONCLUSION

For these reasons, authors provide a review of anatomical variations of this artery that could be encountered with a particular attention given to the history and embryological knowledge.