Middle cerebral artery

The middle cerebral artery (lat. middle cerebral artery) is one of the three main arterial vessels of the brain. It is the sideways terminal branch of the internal carotid artery and thus part of the arterial vascular ring at the base of the brain ( circle of Willis ). They are in their course from several small branches, with which parts of the cerebrum are supplied with oxygen and other nutrients.

Segments

At the middle cerebral artery (English middle cerebral artery, MCA ), four segments M1 -M4 distinguished:

• M1: The sphenoid segment extends from end to end first major bifurcation. From it spring downwards and inwards ( ventromedial ) the arteries centrales anterolateral and upward and outward ( dorsolateral ) uncalis artery, artery temporopolaris and the anterior temporal artery.
• M2: There is superior and truncus inferor from a trunk and extending in the island region ( island segment).
• M3: The course along the operculum.
• M4: The terminal segment are on the cerebral cortex ( cortical ) visual terminal branches.

Coverage area

The middle cerebral artery is the largest vessel supplying the brain and mainly supplies the lateral ( side ) surfaces of the frontal, parietal and temporal lobes. Under their coverage area also covers also important switching centers in the hypothalamus as part of the thalamus, the adjacent basal ganglia and the internal capsule and the insular cortex.

Diseases

Strokes affect more frequently the supply area of ​​the middle cerebral artery (Media infarction) than that of the other cerebral arteries. They manifest themselves usually with facial and armbetonter hemiplegia and spasticity of the opposite half of the body as well as numbness of the respective body zones. Visual field defects, language disorders, neglect and apraxia are also common.

As a rare malformation of the middle cerebral artery can remodel in a number of small vessels. This disease occurs mainly in Japanese and Moya Moya is mentioned.