The cerebellar arteries: cortical patterns and vascularization of the cerebellar nuclei

This paper reports an anatomical study of the vascular supply in 60 human cerebelli from subjects of both sexes, aged between 20 and 60 years, who had died of various accidental causes. The origin, branching pattern and cortical and central distributions of the cerebellar arteries have been studied by gross dissection, vascular injection and corrosion procedures. Variations of the normal pattern of the cerebellar arteries in both origin and cortical distribution are frequently found, the anterior inferior and the posterior inferior cerebellar arteries being the arteries showing the highest number of variations. The anomalies most frequently found are duplication in the origin, abnormal origin, and the presence of hypoplastic vessels. The cerebellar nuclei were supplied by the rhomboidal artery, a collateral branch of the superior cerebellar artery. The formation of a precise segmentary vascular pattern into the dentate nucleus by branches arising from the rhomboidal artery is described. The results are discussed in the light of other anatomical studies.