13. Vertebral arteriogram, lateral projection
The vertebral arteries ascend the neck through the foramina transversaria
of C1-C6 cervical vertebrae, and enter the skull via the foramen magnum, where
they give off the posterior inferior cerebellar arteries. When the two
vertebral arteries reach the anterior surface of the medulla oblongata at its
border with the pons they join in the midline to form the basillar artery.
The basillar artery ascends in a groove on the anterior surface of the pons,
giving off the paired anterior inferior cerebellar arteries (not visualized
on this image — see Image #14 — AP projection
of the same arteriogram) and superior cerebellar arteries before dividing
into its two terminal branches, the posterior cerebral arteries. Each
posterior cerebral artery receives a posterior communicating artery from
the ipsilateral internal carotid artery.
