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Short gyri of insula

The short gyri of the insula (gyri breves insulae) are small convolutions found on the anterior part of the insular cortex, a region buried deep within the lateral sulcus of the brain. These gyri play a role in complex integrative functions related to emotion, perception, and autonomic control. Their identification and differentiation are clinically significant due to their involvement in various neurological and psychiatric conditions. Accurate recognition on imaging is vital for diagnosis and surgical planning.

Synonyms:

  • Gyri breves insulae

  • Anterior insular gyri

  • Short insular gyri

Arterial Supply:

  • Primarily supplied by the middle cerebral artery (MCA), especially its insular branches (mainly M2 segment).

  • Additional minor supply may come from the lateral lenticulostriate arteries.

Venous Drainage:

  • Drained mainly via the deep middle cerebral vein.

  • Also through small insular veins that join the superficial and deep cerebral venous systems.

Function:

  • Involved in integration of sensory, emotional, and autonomic information.

  • Plays a key role in gustatory (taste) perception, visceral sensory input, pain processing, and social-emotional awareness.

MRI Appearance:

  • T1-weighted:

    • Slightly hypointense compared to white matter.

    • Appears as cortical gray matter, easily delineated from adjacent white matter.

  • T2-weighted:

    • Hyperintense compared to white matter.

    • Shows same signal as other cortical gray matter regions.

  • FLAIR:

    • Same signal intensity as T2 except for fluid suppression.

    • Gray matter is hyperintense relative to white matter, cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) is suppressed.

CT Appearance:

  • The short gyri of insula are slightly hyperintense compared to white matter.

  • Appear as subtle elevations or ridges within the insular cortex, best visualized on high-resolution axial sections.

MRI images

Short gyri of insula MRI 3T axial image

MRI images

Short gyri of insula MRI 3T sagittal image

CT image

Short gyri of insula CT sag cross sectional anatomy radiology image