title: Vasa vasorum of the intracranial arteries.
abstract: Most of the major extracranial arteries have vasa vasorum which play an important role in some pathological conditions. However, in the intracranial arteries, the existence of vasa vasorum and their pathological implication have not been adequately investigated. We examined the distribution and incidence of vasa vasorum in the major cerebral arteries and their relationships to certain clinical factors in 50 autopsy cases performed between 1987 and 1994. By light microscopy, vasa vasorum were found in 36 of 50 patients. Of 36 patients, vasa vasorum in 30 cases were localizedly observed in the tunica adventitia and the in other 6 were distributed in the tunica media accompanied by intramural haemorrhage. Existence of vasa vasorum was more common in the proximal arteries (vertebral, internal carotid, and basilar arteries) than in the distal arteries (middle cerebral and anterior cerebral arteries). Vasa vasorum were found more frequently in aged patients with severe atherosclerosis and those with cerebrovascular diseases. Our results indicated that intracranial vasa vasorum existed with a higher frequency in the tunica adventitia of the vertebral and internal cerebral arteries, and the incidence of vasa vasorum related to severity of atherosclerosis. The development of vasa vasorum in the tunica media may reflect some pathological changes of cerebral arteries.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurosurgery, Toyama Medical and Pharmaceutical University, Sugitani Toyama, Japan.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Takaba
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Endo
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kurimoto
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Kuwayama
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Nishijima
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Takaku
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001488:Basilar Artery / Q000473:pathology; D002343:Carotid Artery, Internal / Q000473:pathology; D002536:Cerebral Arteries / Q000473:pathology*; D002561:Cerebrovascular Disorders / Q000473:pathology; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D002537:Intracranial Arteriosclerosis / Q000473:pathology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D017678:Sex Distribution; D017540:Tunica Media / Q000473:pathology; D014651:Vasa Vasorum / Q000473:pathology*; D014711:Vertebral Artery / Q000473:pathology