Microsurgical anatomy of the extracerebral segment of recurrent artery of Heubner in the Mexican population.

Background: The recurrent artery of Heubner (RAH) is originated commonly from the anterior cerebral artery. Its extracerebral segment is directed toward the anterior perforate substance where it penetrates the cortex.

Methods: The RAH was dissected from 15 human brains from Mexican population, and the presence, length, branches, course and either RHAs or anterior communicating artery complex variants were reported.

Results: The RAH was found in 93% of the hemispheres and duplicated in 39% of the hemispheres. The RAH was duplicated in at least a hemisphere in 46.6% of the brains; 40% of the brains had a RAH in every hemisphere. It was duplicated in every hemisphere in 20%. A single artery at a hemisphere was found in 26.6% and double at the other hemisphere. With a length between 13.6 and 36.7 mm (mean: 24.2 mm) and giving rise to 1-9 branches (mean: 3.9 branches), the RAH originated from the juxtacommunicating segment in 44% of the cases, from A2 in 41%, from A1 in 5% and as a branch of the frontopolar artery in 10%. It had an oblique course in 38%, an L in 31%, sinuous in 18% and an inverted L in 13%. In 53.3% of the brains, some variant of the anterior communicating artery complex was found.

Conclusions: Because of the common anatomy of the RAH and its variants, we must consider the probability of finding it duplicated; therefore, it is necessary to make minute dissections of the region to locate or to secure the absence of the RAH.