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Calcarine branch of posterior cerebral artery

The calcarine branch of the posterior cerebral artery (PCA) is a terminal cortical branch that supplies the primary visual cortex located along the calcarine sulcus of the occipital lobe. It is the principal arterial supply to the striate cortex and is essential for normal visual perception.

Because of its well-defined cortical territory and predictable course, the calcarine artery is a key vessel in neuroanatomy and neuroimaging, particularly when assessing vascular anatomy of the occipital lobe.

Synonyms

  • Calcarine artery

  • Calcarine branch of PCA

Origin

  • Arises from the posterior cerebral artery

  • Typically originates from the P2 or P3 segment of the PCA

  • May share a common trunk with the parieto-occipital artery

Location

  • Located in the medial aspect of the occipital lobe

  • Courses within or adjacent to the calcarine sulcus

  • Runs posteriorly toward the occipital pole

  • Situated inferior to the parieto-occipital artery

  • Closely related to the medial surface of the cerebral hemisphere

Anatomical course

  • Leaves the PCA in the ambient or quadrigeminal cistern

  • Passes posteriorly along the medial occipital lobe

  • Follows the calcarine sulcus

  • Divides into superior and inferior cortical branches

  • Extends to the occipital pole

Relations

Superiorly:

  • Cuneus (above the calcarine sulcus)

Inferiorly:

  • Lingual gyrus (below the calcarine sulcus)

Laterally:

  • Occipital white matter

Medially:

  • Falx cerebri and medial cortical surface

Territory supplied

  • Primary visual cortex (V1, striate cortex)

  • Cortex along the calcarine sulcus

  • Medial occipital lobe

  • Occipital pole (often macular representation)

Function

  • Visual processing: Supplies cortex responsible for conscious visual perception

  • Retinotopic organization: Maintains precise visual field mapping

  • Cortical integration: Supports form, motion, and spatial visual interpretation

MRI appearance

T1-weighted images:

  • Calcarine artery: Usually not directly visualized

  • Medial occipital cortex: Normal cortical thickness and signal

T2-weighted images:

  • Appears as thin dark lines or dots following the calcarine sulcus on the medial occipital cortex.

  • Sulcal anatomy: Calcarine sulcus clearly identifiable

FLAIR:

  • Normal: Homogeneous cortical signal along the calcarine region

  • CSF suppression: Enhances visualization of sulcal anatomy

Post-contrast T1-weighted images:

  • Normal: No abnormal cortical enhancement

Post-contrast CT / CT angiography:

  • Calcarine artery: May be visualized as a small cortical branch on CTA

MRI images

MRICalcarine branch of posterior cerebral artery anatomy image -img-00000-00000

MRI images

MRICalcarine branch of posterior cerebral artery anatomy image -img-00000-00000_00001