Turkish Neurosurgery
Magnetic Resonance Angiographic Study of the Anatomical Variations of the Anterior Communicating Artery Complex in a Turkish Population
Hatice Kaplanoğlu1, Esin Kurtuluş Öztürk1
1Health Sciences University Etlik City Hospital, Radiology, Ankara,
DOI: 10.5137/1019-5149.JTN.42817-22.1

Aim:Anterior communicating artery complex (ACoAC) variations are usually asymptomatic, but radiological recognition is important since they can be clinically significant. This study aimed to define arterial anomalies, determine the prevalence of ACoAC, and investigate its relationship with aneurysms.Material and Methods:The three-dimensional time-of-flight magnetic resonance angiography images of 1,857 adult patients presenting to the hospital between January 2020 and September 2022 were retrospectively evaluated. The images of 1,537 cases were classified according to the ACoAC anatomical variants. In addition, the patients were grouped as those with no pathology, those with ACoAC aneurysms, and those with different pathologies other than that of ACoAC, and the relationship between the ACoAC anatomical variants of each group was investigated using statistical methods. Rare variants, such as the trifurcation of A2, single A2, fenestration of A1, and double AComA were evaluated in separate groups.Results:As a result of the classification of 1,537 cases, the classical anatomical variant was found in 39.2% of the group without ACoAC pathologies and in 0.53.3% of the group with ACoAC aneurysms. No significant difference was observed between the sexes in terms of the distribution of variants (p=0.09). There was also no significant relationship between the presence of ACoAC aneurysms and sex (p=0.5).Conclusion:The ACoAC anatomical variants of the cerebral arterial system were detected in 60% of the cases. The most common anterior circulation(AC) vascular variants(VV) were A1 segment hypoplasia and aplasia. No clear relationship was found between intracranial aneurysms and anatomical variation.

Corresponding author : Hatice Kaplanoğlu