Functional Arterial Anatomy of the Brain

The basic patterns of the cerebral arteries development are highly conserved across vertebrates. Historical and recent studies based on human embryos, comparative anatomy, and cerebral angiographies allowed us to better understand the embryological development of the cerebral arteries. The knowledge and understanding of such embryological development are important for neurointerventionalists interested in neurovascular diseases, especially stroke, because we may encounter unexpected anatomical variants in neuroendovascular practice. Understanding the embryological processes is essential in understanding cerebral arterial anatomy. This review discusses the development of the aortic arch, great brachiocephalic vessels to the cerebral arteries, and their anatomical variations, with an embryological point of view.