The superior cerebellar artery (SCA) is an

artery An artery (plural arteries) () is a blood vessel in humans and most animals that takes blood away from the heart to one or more parts of the body (tissues, lungs, brain etc.). Most arteries carry oxygenated blood; the two exceptions are the pul ...

of the head. It arises near the end of the

basilar artery The basilar artery () is one of the arteries that supplies the brain with oxygen-rich blood. The two vertebral arteries and the basilar artery are known as the vertebral basilar system, which supplies blood to the posterior part of the circle of W ...

. It is a branch of the basilar artery. It supplies parts of the

cerebellum The cerebellum (Latin for "little brain") is a major feature of the hindbrain of all vertebrates. Although usually smaller than the cerebrum, in some animals such as the mormyrid fishes it may be as large as or even larger. In humans, the cerebel ...

, the

midbrain The midbrain or mesencephalon is the forward-most portion of the brainstem and is associated with vision, hearing, motor control, sleep and wakefulness, arousal (alertness), and temperature regulation. The name comes from the Greek ''mesos'', " ...

, and other nearby structures. It is the cause of

trigeminal neuralgia Trigeminal neuralgia (TN or TGN), also called Fothergill disease, tic douloureux, or trifacial neuralgia is a long-term pain disorder that affects the trigeminal nerve, the nerve responsible for sensation in the face and motor functions such as ...

in some patients.

Structure

The superior cerebellar artery arises near the end of the

. It passes laterally around the brainstem. This is immediately below the oculomotor nerve, which separates it from the

posterior cerebral artery The posterior cerebral artery (PCA) is one of a pair of cerebral arteries that supply oxygenated blood to the occipital lobe, part of the back of the human brain. The two arteries originate from the distal end of the basilar artery, where it bifur ...

. It then winds around the

cerebral peduncle The cerebral peduncles are the two stalks that attach the cerebrum to the brainstem. They are structures at the front of the midbrain which arise from the ventral pons and contain the large ascending (sensory) and descending (motor) nerve tra ...

, close to the

trochlear nerve The trochlear nerve (), ( lit. ''pulley-like'' nerve) also known as the fourth cranial nerve, cranial nerve IV, or CN IV, is a cranial nerve that innervates just one muscle: the superior oblique muscle of the eye, which operates through the pu ...

. It also lies close to the

cerebellar tentorium The cerebellar tentorium or tentorium cerebelli (Latin for "tent of the cerebellum") is an extension of the dura mater that separates the cerebellum from the inferior portion of the occipital lobes. Structure The cerebellar tentorium is an arche ...

. When it arrives at the upper surface of the

, it divides into branches which ramify in the

pia mater Pia mater ( or ),Entry "pia mater"
in
anterior inferior cerebellar arteries and the

posterior inferior cerebellar arteries The posterior inferior cerebellar artery (PICA) is the largest branch of the vertebral artery. It is one of the three main artery, arteries that supply blood to the cerebellum, a part of the brain. Blockage of the posterior inferior cerebellar arte ...

. Several branches are given to the

pineal body The pineal gland, conarium, or epiphysis cerebri, is a small endocrine gland in the brain of most vertebrates. The pineal gland produces melatonin, a serotonin-derived hormone which modulates sleep patterns in both circadian and seasonal cycl ...

, the anterior medullary velum, and the

tela chorioidea The tela choroidea (or tela chorioidea) is a region of meningeal pia mater that adheres to the underlying ependyma, and gives rise to the choroid plexus in each of the brain’s four ventricles. ''Tela'' is Latin for ''woven'' and is used to desc ...

of the

third ventricle The third ventricle is one of the four connected ventricles of the ventricular system within the mammalian brain. It is a slit-like cavity formed in the diencephalon between the two thalami, in the midline between the right and left lateral ...

Function

The superior cerebellar artery supplies deep parts and superior parts of the

. It supplies parts of the

(tectum, including the

cerebral crus The cerebral crus (crus cerebri) is the anterior portion of the cerebral peduncle which contains the motor tracts, travelling from the cerebral cortex to the pons and spine. The plural of which is cerebral crura. In some older texts this is call ...

). It also supplies superior medullary velum, the

superior cerebellar peduncle In the human brain, the superior cerebellar peduncle (brachium conjunctivum) is a paired structure of white matter that connects the cerebellum to the midbrain. It consists mainly of efferent fibers, the cerebellothalamic tract that runs from a cer ...

, the

middle cerebellar peduncle The middle cerebellar peduncle (brachium pontis) is a paired structure of the brain. It connects the pons to the cerebellum, with fibres originating from the pontine nucleus and travelling to the opposite hemisphere of the cerebellar cortex. It i ...

, and the interpeduncular region.

Clinical significance

Trigeminal neuralgia

The superior cerebellar artery is frequently the cause of

. It compresses the

trigeminal nerve In neuroanatomy, the trigeminal nerve ( lit. ''triplet'' nerve), also known as the fifth cranial nerve, cranial nerve V, or simply CN V, is a cranial nerve responsible for sensation in the face and motor functions such as biting and chewin ...

(CN V), causing pain on the patient's face (the distribution of the nerve). This may be treated with vascular

microsurgery Microsurgery is a general term for surgery requiring an operating microscope. The most obvious developments have been procedures developed to allow anastomosis of successively smaller blood vessels and nerves (typically 1 mm in diameter) whic ...

to decompress the trigeminal nerve. At autopsy, 50% of people without trigeminal neuralgia will also be noted to have vascular compression of the nerve.Handbook of Neurosurgery, Greenberg, M.D., Thieme 2006

Stroke

infarction Infarction is tissue death (necrosis) due to inadequate blood supply to the affected area. It may be caused by artery blockages, rupture, mechanical compression, or vasoconstriction. The resulting lesion is referred to as an infarct (from the ...

of the superior cerebellar artery can cause a cerebellar stroke. This can cause a

headache Headache is the symptom of pain in the face, head, or neck. It can occur as a migraine, tension-type headache, or cluster headache. There is an increased risk of depression in those with severe headaches. Headaches can occur as a result ...

and

ataxia Ataxia is a neurological sign consisting of lack of voluntary coordination of muscle movements that can include gait abnormality, speech changes, and abnormalities in eye movements. Ataxia is a clinical manifestation indicating dysfunction of ...

(with problems walking).

References

*Handbook of Neurosurgery, Greenberg, M.D., Thieme 2006

External links

* * http://neuroangio.org/anatomy-and-variants/superior-cerebellar-artery/ * {{DEFAULTSORT:Superior Cerebellar Artery Arteries of the head and neck