Duplication of the posterior cerebral artery: two case reports

The anatomy of the brain circulation is complex and variable. Autopsy studies and imaging techniques have detected anatomical variations of cerebral arteries (CAs) in 48–58% of the general population [1]. The duplication of the posterior cerebral artery (PCA) is a rare anatomic variant with a frequency of 2.3% [2, 3]. PCA duplication is characterised by the identification of a “true foetal” PCA, that originates from the internal carotid artery (ICA) and gives rise to the parieto-occipital artery, the internal occipital artery, the calcarine artery and the posterior pericallosal artery, associated with a PCA, that regularly arises from the basilar artery and gives rise to the posterior temporal artery [4].