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Callosomarginal artery

The Callosomarginal artery is a significant cortical branch of the anterior cerebral artery (ACA) that primarily supplies the medial aspects of the frontal lobe, particularly the paracentral lobule and cingulate gyrus. It plays a vital role in vascularizing regions involved in motor and sensory control of the lower limb, as well as components of the limbic system. Its course is closely related to the cingulate sulcus, and it can have important anatomical variations and implications for both neurovascular pathology and neurosurgical procedures.

Synonyms

  • Superior internal parietal artery

  • Arteria callosomarginalis (Latin)

  • Cingulate branch of ACA (less commonly used)

Origin and Course

  • Origin: Arises from the pericallosal artery, which is itself a branch of the anterior cerebral artery (ACA), usually from the A2 segment.

  • Course:

    • Travels superiorly and posteriorly along the cingulate sulcus, just above the corpus callosum.

    • Often runs parallel to the pericallosal artery, which is inferior to it.

    • Gives off several cortical branches, including the paracentral, cingulate, and frontal branches.

    • Its terminal branches can anastomose with branches of the pericallosal artery or other cortical vessels.

Function

  • Supplies blood to the superior medial aspects of the frontal lobe, including:

    • The cingulate gyrus (involved in emotion, learning, and memory)

    • Paracentral lobule (involved in motor and sensory innervation of the lower limb)

    • Portions of the superior frontal gyrus

  • Supports regions responsible for voluntary motor control, especially of the contralateral leg, as well as cognitive and limbic functions.

MRI Appearance

  • Normal appearance:

    • Visualized as a flow void on standard T1- and T2-weighted images, running above the corpus callosum and within the cingulate sulcus.

    • Can be better delineated using time-of-flight (TOF) MR angiography or contrast-enhanced MR angiography, where it appears as a distinct vessel paralleling the pericallosal artery.

  • Pathological appearance:

    • May show narrowing, occlusion, or abnormal signal in cases of infarct, vasculitis, or aneurysm formation.

    • Region of infarction due to its occlusion often involves the paracentral lobule and medial frontal cortex.

CT Appearance

  • Non-contrast CT:

    • The artery itself is not usually visible due to its small caliber.

    • Can be inferred indirectly if there is hypodensity (suggestive of infarct) in its vascular territory.

  • CT Angiography (CTA):

    • Visualized as a thin, contrast-enhanced vessel coursing superior to the pericallosal artery along the cingulate sulcus.

    • Useful for assessing patency, aneurysms, or vessel caliber changes.

  • CT Perfusion:

    • Can help demonstrate perfusion deficits in the callosomarginal artery territory in cases of stroke.

MRI image

Callosomarginal artery MRI 3T sagittal image

CT image

Callosomarginal artery ct image