Arteries of the Head, Inferior View

Description

Oriented from an inferior aspect, the arterial circle at the base of the brain is presented around the optic chiasm and the interpeduncular region, where the internal carotid arteries and the vertebral arteries converge into the circle of Willis. Posteriorly, the basilar artery runs in the midline along the ventral pons and divides into the posterior cerebral arteries, while the posterior communicating arteries bridge the posterior cerebral and internal carotid systems on each side. The anterior cerebral arteries course anteromedially toward the longitudinal fissure, joined by the anterior communicating artery, with the middle cerebral arteries arising laterally from the carotids toward the Sylvian fissures. Cranial nerve roots in yellow are superimposed across the ventral brainstem and basal forebrain. A clean teaching palette. This inferior view matters because it matches the surgical and radiologic orientation used when discussing aneurysm-prone branch points in the circle of Willis, including the anterior communicating complex, the posterior communicating origin, and the basilar tip. It also supports correlation with subarachnoid hemorrhage patterns and cranial nerve palsies, such as oculomotor nerve compression from a posterior communicating artery aneurysm or abducens vulnerability near the clivus in basilar pathology. Seeing the vertebrobasilar system in continuity with the ventral brainstem helps anchor discussions of posterior circulation stroke syndromes. Use it in neuroanatomy and head and neck modules to teach arterial territories, circle of Willis variants, and cranial nerve relationships at the skull base, and in neurosurgery or neuroradiology content to orient readers to CTA, MRA, and endoscopic endonasal approaches to the sellar and parasellar region. It also fits board-style question banks that pair aneurysm location with focal deficits. Anatomical accuracy verified by SciePro's Medical Advisory Board.