title: The neurovascular relationships and the blood supply of the abducent nerve: surgical anatomy of its cisternal segment.
abstract: Twenty-eight abducent nerves were examined after injecting india ink and gelatin into the vertebrobasilar arterial system. All the abducent nerves were found to be crossed and/or penetrated by the surrounding vessels. The ventral surface of the nerves was crossed by the anterior inferior cerebellar artery (AICA) (75.0%), the posterior inferior cerebellar artery (17.85%), the common trunk of the AICA and posterior inferior cerebellar artery (7.14%), the internal auditory artery (14.28%), the anterolateral artery (46.43%), the pontomedullary artery (92.86%), and the corresponding veins (46.43%). The dorsal surface of the cisternal segment was crossed by the AICA (35.71%), the inferolateral pontine artery (10.71%), the anterolateral artery (82.14%), and the certain veins (46.43%). Sixty-four percent of the cisternal segments were penetrated by one or more of the following vessels: the AICA (25.0%), the anterolateral artery (17.86%), the pontomedullary artery (3.57%), and/or by the corresponding veins (42.86%). The majority of the cisternal segments of the abducent nerves were supplied by the anterolateral arteries (85.71%), and only some of them by the AICA (14.29%) or the pontomedullary artery (7.14%). The authors discuss the possible clinical significance of the anatomical data.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Anatomy, School of Medicine, University of Belgrade, Yugoslavia.
authors.forename: S V
authors.initials: SV
authors.lastname: Marinković
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Gibo
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Stimec
mesh_terms: D000010:Abducens Nerve / Q000098:blood supply / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001158:Arteries / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D001488:Basilar Artery / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D002531:Cerebellum / Q000098:blood supply; D002946:Cisterna Magna / Q000098:blood supply / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008866:Microsurgery; D008875:Middle Aged; D012016:Reference Values; D014680:Veins / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D014711:Vertebral Artery / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery