Extent and location of cerebral infarcts on multiplanar MR images: correlation with distribution of perforating arteries on cerebral angiograms and on cadaveric microangiograms.

The basal gray matter in the cerebrum is supplied by different anatomical groups of perforating arteries, including striate, thalamic, and choroidal arteries. In this pictorial essay we illustrate multiplanar MR imaging of infarctions in those regions and correlate their appearances with cerebral angiographic findings of the same patients when available. We also correlate the extent and location of infarctions on multiplanar MR images with the anatomical distributions of perforating arteries seen on microangiograms of unrelated cadavers. Information conveyed from this correlation will increase understanding of patterns of basal cerebral infarction shown on cross-sectional imaging.