Particular aspects of the arterial blood supply of the optic radiations]

The purpose of this study was to point out the arterial branches that are supplying the optic radiations. The study was carried out on 100 human brains, fixed in formaldehid 10% and dissected under the surgical microscope; 20 of them were at first injected with colored nitrolac. It were observed the origin, traject, relationships and distribution of the arterial branches which supply this optic fibers. The data obtained reveal that: the anterior segment of the optic radiations receives branches from the anterior choroidal artery (100%), middle cerebral artery (83%), thalamogeniculate arteries (78%) and posterior and lateral choroidal arteries (27%); the middle segment of the optic radiations is supplied by arterial branches from the middle cerebral artery (100%), parieto-occipital artery (84%), anterior and middle temporal arteries (36%); the posterior segment of the optic radiations receives branches from the middle cerebral artery (100%) and posterior cerebral artery (100%). All this branches penetrate directly the optic fibers. The knowledge of arterial variants which supply the optic radiations are for great interest for radiologists, neuroophthalmologists, neurosurgeons, for recognising their vascular damage in some complex neuroophthalmologic syndroms.