Branch to angular gyrus
Arteria gyri angularis
A cortical branch of the middle cerebral artery that leaves the back of the lateral sulcus to supply the angular gyrus of the parietal lobe.
At a glance
- English
- Branch to angular gyrus
- Latin (TA2)
- Arteria gyri angularis
- System
- Artery
- Region
- Head
- Side
- Paired, left and right
About the branch to angular gyrus
The branch to the angular gyrus, also called the angular artery, is one of the cortical branches of the middle cerebral artery on the outer surface of the hemisphere. It is often the longest of them and is commonly treated as the final continuation of the parent vessel.
It emerges from the posterior end of the lateral sulcus, where the middle cerebral branches leave the insula and its covering opercula. From there it runs backwards and upwards over the cortex towards the angular gyrus, the curved fold that caps the end of the superior temporal sulcus in the inferior parietal lobule. Along the way it gives twigs to neighbouring parts of the supramarginal gyrus, the back of the temporal lobe and the lateral occipital cortex. Its far branches meet those of the posterior cerebral artery, forming part of the border zone between the two territories.
The angular gyrus links visual, auditory and touch information and, in the dominant hemisphere, is important for reading, writing and number work. Blockage of this branch in the dominant hemisphere can cause loss of reading with loss of writing, and the group of signs known as Gerstmann syndrome: difficulty with writing and calculation, failure to name the fingers and confusion of left and right. In the non-dominant hemisphere, damage in this region tends to cause neglect of the opposite side of space. The border zone it shares with the posterior cerebral artery is vulnerable when blood pressure falls.
Course and supply
- Arises from
- Middle cerebral artery, often from its inferior trunk or as its terminal continuation, at the posterior end of the lateral sulcus.
- Ends in
- Ends in cortical branches over the angular gyrus and nearby parietal, temporal and occipital cortex, meeting branches of the posterior cerebral artery.
- Supplies
- Supplies the angular gyrus and adjoining parts of the supramarginal gyrus, posterior temporal lobe and lateral occipital cortex.
Anthromica
See the branch to angular gyrus where it really sits, with every layer of the body around it.
- Every layer, one body. Peel from muscle to bone, nerve, vessel and organ, and turn it any way.
- English and Latin. Every structure named the way your exam names it.
- Quiz until it sticks. Short drills on the structures you keep missing.
Free to start. No card.
