Comparative angiographic and corrosion cast studies of the cervicocerebral arteries in the dog.

Abstract

Roentgen anatomy of the cervicocerebral circulation in the dog has been studied through arteriograms and methyl methacrylate corrosion specimens. Discrepancies from the classic description of the canine cervicocerebral circulation were observed in the present study. These involved the mode of branching of the vertebral arteries and the formation of the ventral spinal artery. The role of these vessels in the formation of the basilar artery is also noted. A more descriptive terminology is suggested for the arteries of this region. Such anatomic variations may play a vital role in the arterial supply to the dog's spinal cord, brain stem and cerebral cortex. These experiments rule out the presence of a carotid rete between the external carotid and internal carotid circulation before the formation of the arterial circle of the brain. Emphasis is on the importance of the internal carotid artery in the formation of the arterial circle of the brain in the dog.