[Microsurgical anatomy of the anterior communicating artery and its perforating arteries important for interhemispheric trans-lamina terminalis approach: analysis based on cadaver brains].

Microsurgical anatomy of anterior communicating artery (ACoA) and its perforating arteries important for interhemispheric trans-lamina terminalis approach is examined in 25 cadaver brains under magnification using a surgical microscope. ACoA were found in all cases but 60% of those cases had variations such as plexiform ACoA, dimple ACoA, fenestrated ACoA, triple A2 and azygous ACA. In cases with variations such as plexiform ACoA, triple A2 and azygous ACA, it seems difficult to section and divide the ACoA to obtain a better operative field. Perforating arteries of ACoA were noted in all cases. They were classified into the subcallosal artery, hypothalamic artery and chiasmatic artery according to caliber, origin, course and termination. Among these three arteries, subcallosal artery is thought to be an offending artery in memory impairment, character change and psychological abnormalities, because it terminates at the bilateral subcallosal areas. We stress in this paper that the subcallosal artery is the most important perforating artery of ACoA and the incidence of variations of ACoA is higher than previously reported.