Microsurgical Anatomy Of The Petrous Segment To The Communicating Segment Of The Internal Carotid Artery

To observe a new classification system of the internal carotid artery (ICA) in order to provide anatomical base for the microsurgery of skull base. The ICA is frequently involved by tumors (meningioma, neurilemoma, pituitary adenoma, chordoma, chodrosarcoma, nasopharyngeal carcinoma, esthesioneuroblastoma ) or other pathological processes (aneurysms, CCF, AVM, injuries) at the skull base. Our studies will be useful to surgeons considering different operative approaches to the ICA and reconstruction of the ICA.Twenty-four fresh adult cadavers specimens with intravascular injection of the acylonitrile butradiene styrene (ABS) via the ICA were used for microscopic dissection and six fresh adult cadavers specimens were studied in detail under operative microscope directly. The course of the petrous segment (C2) through the communicating segment (C7) of the ICA was dissected and examined under 4 through 25×magnification, using a operative microscope.Bouthillier et al. describe a new classification system of the ICA, which includes the entire ICA, uses a numerical scale in the direction of blood flow, and describes the segments of the ICA according to a detailed understanding of the anatomy surrounding the ICA and the compartments through which it travels. The new classification of the ICA has the following seven segments: C1, cervical; C2, petrous; C3, lacerum; C4, cavernous; C5, clinoid; C6, ophthalmic; and C7, communicating. This classification is practical, accounts for new anatomic information and clinical...