[Significance of the anterior falcial artery]

The author describes origin and course of the anterior falcial artery under physiological conditions. In the carotis communis arteriogram without using the subtraction technique it can be recognised in about one per cent of the cases. Of pathophysiological importance is a dilated anterior falcial artery serving as a collateral artery in occlusions of the carotis interna and as an affluent artery in falcial menigiomas, which is demonstrated in an example. The combination of an a. primitiva trigemini with a homolateral traumatic dural arteriovenous shunt and dilated anterior falcial artery is shown in another patient.