Anterolateral central branch of right middle cerebral artery

Looks like

A row of tiny thread-like arteries (lenticulostriate arteries) that dive straight up from the first part of the middle cerebral artery into the brain.

What it does

Supply deep grey matter (basal ganglia) and the internal capsule, the tight bundle of movement fibres.

Keeping it well

Long-term high blood pressure damages them: small deep strokes (lacunes) or bleeds. Keeping blood pressure down is the main protection.

Related conditions

• Brain aneurysm
• Carotid artery stenosis
• High blood pressure
• High cholesterol
• Hypothermia & frostbite
• Ischaemic stroke
• Kawasaki disease
• Metabolic syndrome
• Orthostatic hypotension & POTS
• Peripheral artery disease
• Phaeochromocytoma & hyperaldosteronism
• Pre-eclampsia
• Raynaud's phenomenon
• Retinal artery occlusion (eye stroke)
• Sepsis
• Shock (circulatory failure)
• Takayasu arteritis
• Transient ischaemic attack
• Vasculitis (GCA & others)