Arterial territories of the human brain: cerebral hemispheres.

Abstract

The development of neuroimaging has allowed clinicians to improve clinicoanatomic correlations in patients with stroke. Anatomic structures are well delineated on MRI, but there is a lack of standardization in their arterial supply. As in our previous study depicting the arterial supply of the brainstem and cerebellum, we present a system of 12 axial sections of the hemispheres depicting the dominant arterial territories, the most important anatomic structures, and Brodmann's areas. The area of variation of the cortical territory of the anterior, middle, and posterior cerebral arteries is also represented. These sections may be used as a practical tool to determine arterial territories on CT or MRI, and may help establish consistent clinicoanatomic correlations in patients with supratentorial stroke.