Microsurgical anatomy of the extracerebral segment of recurrent artery of Heubner in the Mexican population.

BACKGROUND

The recurrent artery of Heubner (RAH) is originated commonly from the anterior cerebral artery. Its extracerebral segment is directed toward the anterior perforate substance where it penetrates the cortex.

METHODS

The RAH was dissected from 15 human brains from Mexican population, and the presence, length, branches, course and either RHAs or anterior communicating artery complex variants were reported.

RESULTS

The RAH was found in 93% of the hemispheres and duplicated in 39% of the hemispheres. The RAH was duplicated in at least a hemisphere in 46.6% of the brains; 40% of the brains had a RAH in every hemisphere. It was duplicated in every hemisphere in 20%. A single artery at a hemisphere was found in 26.6% and double at the other hemisphere. With a length between 13.6 and 36.7 mm (mean: 24.2 mm) and giving rise to 1-9 branches (mean: 3.9 branches), the RAH originated from the juxtacommunicating segment in 44% of the cases, from A2 in 41%, from A1 in 5% and as a branch of the frontopolar artery in 10%. It had an oblique course in 38%, an L in 31%, sinuous in 18% and an inverted L in 13%. In 53.3% of the brains, some variant of the anterior communicating artery complex was found.

CONCLUSIONS

Because of the common anatomy of the RAH and its variants, we must consider the probability of finding it duplicated; therefore, it is necessary to make minute dissections of the region to locate or to secure the absence of the RAH.