Posterior Cerebral Artery (PCA)
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Strokes
- Anterior Cerebral Artery (ACA)
- Middle Cerebral Artery (MCA)
- Posterior Cerebral Artery (PCA)
- Lenticulostriate Artery
- Anterior Inferior Cerebellar Artery (AICA)
- Posterior Inferior Cerebellar Artery (PICA)
- Anterior Spinal Artery (ASA)
- Basilar Artery
Posterior Cerebral Artery (PCA)
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Summary
The posterior cerebral artery or PCA is a major brain artery that supplies the occipital lobe and the visual cortex of the brain. Strokes due to blockages of this artery can lead to visual deficits, including contralateral hemianopia with macular sparing. Other neurological deficits seen include alexia without agraphia, referring to an impaired ability to read, with a preserved ability to write, as well as prosopagnosia, or the inability to recognize faces.
Key Points
- Posterior Cerebral Artery (PCA)
- Area of lesion
- Occipital Lobe
- Contains primary visual cortex
- Occipital Lobe
- Presentation
- Contralateral hemianopia with macular sparing
- Macular is spared because collateral blood supply by MCA to occipital pole, which processes the macula
- Alexia without agraphia (inability to read without inability to write)
- If dominant hemisphere affected, extending to corpus callosum
- Prosopagnosia (inability to recognize faces)
- Non-dominant hemisphere
- Contralateral hemianopia with macular sparing
- Area of lesion