Blood supply of the trigeminal ganglion and nerve root

Abstract

Great surgical significance and lack of relevant anatomic data were the reasons for this study. Twenty-five trigeminal nerve roots and ganglia were examined under the stereoscopic microscope. The nerve root received between two and six vascular twigs from two or three of the following arteries: the superolateral pontine (92%), anterior inferior cerebellar (88%), inferolateral or posterolateral pontine, superior cerebellar, basilar and trigeminocerebellar. The trigeminal twigs measured from 110 to 520 μm in diameter. A single trigeminal artery may supply either the motor portion of the nerve root or the sensory portion, or both. The superolateral pontine artery (88%) usually perfused the motor root. The same artery often supplied (64%) the ophthalmic part of the sensory root. The maxillary part was most often irrigated by the superolateral and inferolateral pontine arteries, and the mandibular part by the anterior inferior cerebellar artery (AICA). The trigeminal ganglion received the vascular twigs from the middle meningeal artery (92%), accessory middle meningeal artery (8%), inferolateral trunk (90%) and tentorial branch (8%). The obtained data in the trigeminal vasculature can be the anatomic basis for decompressive neurovascular operations and surgery of the cavernous sinus.