| Posterior inferior cerebellar artery | |
|---|---|
 | |
 Diagram of the arterial circulation at the base of the brain (inferior view). PICA is labeled at bottom right. | |
| Details | |
| Source | Vertebral artery |
| Branches | Medial branch lateral |
| Vein | Inferior cerebellar veins |
| Supplies | Cerebellum,choroid plexus of thefourth ventricle |
| Identifiers | |
| Latin | arteria inferior posterior cerebelli |
| TA98 | A12.2.08.012 |
| TA2 | 4542 |
| FMA | 50518 |
| Anatomical terminology | |
Theposterior inferior cerebellar artery (PICA) is the largest branch of thevertebral artery. It is one of the three mainarteries that supply blood to thecerebellum, a part of thebrain. Blockage of the posterior inferior cerebellar artery can result in a type ofstroke calledlateral medullary syndrome.
The PICA supplies blood to themedulla oblongata; thechoroid plexus andtela choroidea of thefourth ventricle; thetonsils; theinferior vermis, and the inferior parts of thecerebellum.[1]
It winds backward around the upper part of themedulla oblongata, passing between the origins of thevagus nerve and theaccessory nerve, over theinferior cerebellar peduncle to the undersurface of thecerebellum, where it divides into two branches.
The medial branch continues backward to the notch between the two hemispheres of the cerebellum; while the lateral supplies the under surface of the cerebellum, as far as its lateral border, where itanastomoses with theanterior inferior cerebellar and thesuperior cerebellar branches of thebasilar artery.
Branches from this artery supply thechoroid plexus of thefourth ventricle.
A disrupted blood supply to posterior inferior cerebellar artery due to athrombus orembolus can result in astroke and lead tolateral medullary syndrome. Severe occlusion of this artery or to vertebral arteries could lead toHorner's Syndrome as well.
This article incorporates text in thepublic domain frompage 580 of the 20th edition ofGray's Anatomy(1918)
