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Anatomy Atlases: Illustrated Encyclopedia of Human Anatomic Variation: Opus II: Cardiovascular System: Arteries: Head, Neck, and Thorax: Circle of Willis

Illustrated Encyclopedia of Human Anatomic Variation: Opus II: Cardiovascular System: Arteries: Head, Neck, and Thorax

Circle of Willis

Ronald A. Bergman, PhD
Adel K. Afifi, MD, MS
Ryosuke Miyauchi, MD

Peer Review Status: Internally Peer Reviewed


This circle of anastomosing arterial vessels is extremely variable.

Stehbens regards a normal circle of Willis to be one in which there is a complete anastomotic polygon, which may show considerable variability not only of its components but also its branches. The so-called normal or textbook description holds true in about 34.5% of cases based on a composit review of 1413 brains. Not even Willis's original illustration conforms to the usual textbook description.

See illustrations for Circle variations.

Image 74A, Image 74B, Image 74C, Image 74D, Image 74E, Image 74F, Image 74G, Image 74H, Image 82, Image 116, Image 143, Image 144, Image 227, Image 291, Image 292, Image 293, Image 294A, Image 294B, Image 294C, Image 294D, Image 294E, Image 512


References

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Bergman, R.A., Thompson, S.A., Afifi, A.K. and F.A. Saadeh. (1988) Compendium of Human Anatomic Variation: Catalog, Atlas and World Literature. Urban & Schwarzenberg, Baltimore and Munich.

Blackburn, J.W. (1907) Anomalies of encephalic arteries among the insane. A study of the arteries at the base of the encephalon in two hundred and twenty consecutive cases of mental disease, with special reference to anomalies of the circle of Willis. J. Comp. Neurol. 17:493-509.

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Chrzanowska, G. and J. Mierzwa. (1979) Variation of the cerebral arterial circle (of Willis) in man. Folia Morphol., Warsaw 38 (3):365-373.

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Hasenjäger, T. (1937) Ein Beitrag zu den Abnormitäten des Circulus Wilisii. Zbl. Neurochir. 2:34- 38.

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Kirgis, J.D., Fisher, W.L., Llewellyn, R.C. and E. McC. Peebles. (1966) Aneurysms of anterior communicating artery and gross anomalies of the circle of Willis. J. Neurosurg. 25:73-78.

Kleiss, E. (1941-42) Die verschiedenen Formen des Circulus arteriosus Willisi. Anat. Anz. 92:216-230.

Kmentowa-Sklenska, A. and Z. Hejlowa. (1958) Struktura mpzgovych tepen u dospivajiciho a dospeleho cloveka. Ceskoslov. Morph. 6:358-367.

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LeGuyader, A., Cayotte, J.L., Laffont, J., Renard, M., Delteil, C., Picard, L., Brice, M. and J.P. Masson. (1968) Variations morphologiques du polygone de Willis à propos de 170 observations anatomiques. Étud. Anat. Fac. Med., Nancy 2:45-55.

Longo, L. (1905) Le anomalie del poligono di Willis nell'uomo studiate comparativamente in alcuni mammiferi ed ucelli. Anat. Anz. 27:170-176.

Lowrey, L.G. (1916) Anomaly in the circle of Willis, due to absence of the right internal carotid artery. Anat. Rec. 10:221-222.

McCullough, A.W. (1962) Some anomalies of the cerebral arterial circle (of Willis) and related vessels. Anat. Rec. 142:537-543.

McDonald, D. A. and J.M. Potter. (1951) The distribution of the blood to the brain. J. Physiol., London 114:356-371.

McMinn, R.M.H. (1953) A case of non-union of the vertebral arteries. Anat. Rec. 116:283-286.

Miller-Fisher, C. (1965) The circle of Willis. Anatomical variations. Vasc. Dis. 2:99-105.

Mittenwallner, F. (1955) A Variationsstatistische Untersuchungen an den basalen Hirngefässen. Acta Anat., Basel 24:51-88.

Mori, A. (1898) Sulla disposizione delle arterie della base dell'encefalo nei normali e negli alienati. Monitore Zoologico Italiano 4:179-202.

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Parnisetti, C. (1902) Anomalie del poligono arterioso del Willis nei delinquenti in rapporto con alterazioni del cervello e del cuore. Archivio di Psichiatria, Scienze Penali ed Antropologia Criminale (vol. 7 della Serie 2)23:11-27.

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Puchades-Orts, A., Nombela-Gomez, M. and G. Ortuno-Pacheco. (1976) Variations in form of circle of Willis: some anatomical and embryological considerations. Anat. Rec. 185(l):119-123.

Riggs, H. and C.Rupp. (1963) Variations in form of the circle of Willis. The relation of the variations to collateral circulation, anatomic analysis. Arch. Neurol. 8:24-30.

Slany, A. (1938) Anomalien des Circulus arteriosus Willisi in ihrer Beziehung zur Aneurysmenbildung an der Hirnbasis. Arch. Pathol. Anat. Physiol. Klin. Med. 301:62-71.

Stebbens, W.E. (1963) Aneurysms and anatomical variation of cerebral vessels. Arch. Pathol. 75:45-64.

Stopford, J.S.B. (1916) The arteries of the pons and medulla oblongata. J. Anat. Physiol. 50:131-164.

Waddington, M.M. (1974) Atlas of Cerebral Angiography with Anatomic Correlation. Little, Brown and Co., Boston.

Willis, T. (1664) Cerebri anatomie: cui accessit nervorum descripto et usus. Martyn and Allestry. London.

Windle, B.C.A. (1888) On the circle of Willis. New York Medical Journal 2:XXX-XXX.

Windle, B.C.A. (1888) The arteries forming the circle of Willis. J. Anat. Physiol. 22:289-293.

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