Related Experiment Video
Updated: Mar 20, 2026

A Fibrin-Enriched and tPA-Sensitive Photothrombotic Stroke Model
Published on: June 4, 2021
Collateral blood vessels in acute ischemic stroke: a physiological window to predict future outcomes
Heitor Castelo Branco Rodrigues Alves1,2, Felipe Torres Pacheco1,2, Antonio J Rocha1,2
1Santa Casa de São Paulo, Faculdade de Ciências Médicas, Divisao de Neuroradiologia, São Paulo SP, Brasil;
Abstract:
Collateral circulation is a physiologic pathway that protects the brain against ischemic injury and can potentially bypass the effect of a blocked artery, thereby influencing ischemic lesion size and growth. Several recent stroke trials have provided information about the role of collaterals in stroke pathophysiology, and collateral perfusion has been recognized to influence arterial recanalization, reperfusion, hemorrhagic transformation, and neurological outcomes after stroke. Our current aim is to summarize the anatomy and physiology of the collateral circulation and to present and discuss a comprehensible review of the related knowledge, particularly the effects of collateral circulation on the time course of ischemic injury and stroke severity, as well as imaging findings and therapeutic implications.
Related Concept Videos
Arteries of the Head and Neck
The internal carotid arteries supply blood to the anterior portion of the cerebrum. They enter the...
The Arch of Aorta
Encircling the heart, the coronary arteries form a ring-like structure before...
Anastomoses
Anastomoses can be formed at arterial, venous, and lymphatic vessels.
Arterial Anastomosis: These occur between arteries. They...
Vascular Spasm
Extrinsic and Intrinsic Pathways of Hemostasis
The Extrinsic Pathway
The extrinsic pathway of coagulation is typically initiated by tissue damage that exposes blood to tissue factor (TF), a protein released by the damaged tissue cells outside the blood vessels—this interaction with TF triggers biochemical reactions involving specific clotting factors. The key player here is Factor VII, which...

