• List the arteries that supply the brain, describe their courses and territories they supply

There are two circulations which supply the brain the ANTERIOR and POSTERIOR circulations

Anterior circulation

The internal carotid arteries (ICAs) are the primary source which then branch off to give other branches of the anterior circulation.

Course

Internal carotids run up the neck not giving off any branches - they reach the carotid canal which is within the temporal bone in the skull, they then enter the cranial cavity through this canal.

On both sides of the pituitary fossa there is a cavernous sinus which the internal carotid runs through and creates a siphon and this is the point it then gives off a number of branches

2 main

Middle cerebral artery (MCA)

Anterior cerebral artery (ACA)

It also gives off perforating branches (eg lenticulostriate) and the Opthalmic artery

• What sections of the brain does the anterior circulation supply?

Posterior circulation

Primary source … (equivalent to ICA in anterior)