14. Vertebral arteriogram, AP 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.
