| Anterolateral central arteries | |
| Latin: | aa. centrales anterolaterales,[1] aa. lenticulostriatae |
| Branchfrom: | Middle cerebral artery |
The anterolateral central arteries or lenticulostriate arteries[2] (also anterolateral perforating arteries, anterolateral ganglionic arteries, striate arteries, or lateral striate arteries) are a group of small arteries mostly arising from (the initial M1 part of) the middle cerebral artery that enter the brain through the anterior perforated substance to provide arterial supply to parts of the basal ganglia.[3] They are end arteries.
The name of these arteries is derived from some of the structures they supply, namely the lentiform nucleus and the striatum.
The ALCAs supply the:
The medial striate artery (Recurrent artery of Heubner) arises either from the middle cerebral artery or anterior cerebral artery, and supplies the rostral/anterior portion of the caudate nucleus and putamen, and the anterior limb and genu of internal capsule.
Blockage of the lenticulostriate arteries causes lacunar infarcts. These infarcts are most often due to hyaline arteriosclerosis secondary to hypertension. This can lead to contralateral paresis (muscular weakness) and/or sensory loss of the face and body.
Le, Tao and Bhushan, Vikas. First Aid for the USMLE Step 1 2017 (p.484). New York: McGraw-Hill Education, 2017.