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Posterior Communicating Artery
Cardiovascular System

Posterior Communicating Artery

Arteria communicans posterior

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Quick Facts

Origin: Internal carotid artery.

Course: Extends posteriorly to the posterior cerebral artery.

Branches: Posterolateral central and tuberothalamic arteries, artery of tuber cinereum, mammillary, hypothalamic, and chiasmatic branches; branch to oculomotor nerve.

Supplied Structures: Mammillary bodies and the premammillary area, the tuber cinereum, optic chiasm, hypothalamus, oculomotor nerve, medial thalamic surface, and wall of third ventricle.

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Origin

The posterior communicating artery is a short artery arising from the intracranial part of the internal carotid artery.

Course

The posterior communicating artery extends posteriorly, passing above the oculomotor nerve (CN III) and joins the posterior cerebral artery. This arrangement forms part of the cerebral arterial circle, or the circle of Willis.

The posterior communicating artery is usually quite small, however, when its enlarged, it supplies the posterior cerebral artery rather than the basilar artery.

Branches

The posterior communicating artery has numerous small rami. These include the posteromedial central and tuberothalamic arteries, the artery of tuber cinereum, the mammillary, hypothalamic, and chiasmatic branches, and a branch to oculomotor nerve.

Supplied Structures

The posterior communicating artery supplies the mammillary bodies and the premammillary area, the tuber cinereum, optic chiasm, hypothalamus, oculomotor nerve, medial thalamic surface, and wall of the third ventricle.

Learn more about this topic from other Elsevier products

Posterior Communicating Artery

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The latter, the posterior communicating artery, forms part of the circle of Willis and connects the anterior internal carotid circulation with the posterior vertebral circulation.

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