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circle of Willis |
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circle /cir·cle/ (ser´k'l) a round structure or part. cerebral arterial circle c. of Willis. Berry's circles charts with circles on them for testing stereoscopic vision. defensive circle the coexistence of two conditions which tend to have an antagonistic or inhibiting effect on each other. circle of Haller a circle of arteries in the sclera at the site of the entrance of the optic nerve. Minsky's circles a series of circles used for the graphic recording of eye lesions. circle of Willis the anastomotic loop of vessels near the base of the brain.
circle of Willis Etymology: Thomas Willis, English physician, 1621-1675 a vascular network at the base of the brain formed by the interconnection of the middle cerebral, anterior cerebral, posterior cerebral, basilar, anterior communicating, and posterior communicating arteries. circle a round figure, structure or part. circle block see ring block. ciliary arterial circle formed from the anterior ciliary arteries; lies within the ciliary muscle. iridial arterial circle formed from the posterior long ciliary arteries and supplying blood to the iris. iridial vascular circle a ring of vessels formed by the anterior ciliary arteries; provide fine branches to the iris and ciliary body. circle of safety see flight distance. circle system see breathing circuit. circle test walking a horse in a small circle, first one direction then the other, is used in a neurological examination to detect ataxia and abnormalities in proprioception. circle of Willis
anastomotic loop of vessels near the base of the brain. See cerebral arterial circle. circle of Willis An arterial ring surrounding the optic chiasma and hypothalamus. It is formed anteriorly by the anterior cerebral arteries which are linked by the anterior communicating artery; posteriorly, by the division of the basilar artery into the posterior cerebral arteries and, laterally the latter are united by the posterior communicating arteries to the internal carotid arteries. An aneurysm in one part of the circle of Willis may compress the optic chiasma, resulting in a visual field loss. As the terminal branches of the internal carotid arteries are called the middle cerebral arteries, the circle of Willis is sometimes considered to be formed laterally by the latter (Fig. C11). See internal carotid artery; preretinal haemorrhage; heteronymous hemianopia.
circle of Willis circulus arteriosus cerebri Anatomy A conduit of anastomosed arteries that encircle the optic chiasm and hypophysial region at the base of the brain, consisting of parts of each internal carotid, anterior, middle, and
posterior cerebral arteries, and anterior and posterior communicating arteries. See Berry aneurysm. How to thank TFD for its existence? Tell a friend about us, add a link to this page, add the site to iGoogle, or visit webmaster's page for free fun content. |
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Magnetic resonance arteriography and magnetic resonance venography showed that the circle of Willis was patent, as were the internal and external jugular veins bilaterally. For example, the vertebral artery test is recommended to evaluate the patency of blood flow in the vertebral arteries, which supply the majority of blood to the anterior cervical spinal cord and go on to supply the brain stem and the circle of Willis at the base of the brain. By establishing the shunt between the carotid artery and femoral vein, blood from the opposite side of the brain via the Circle of Willis and collateral vessels is redirected to the lower pressure venous return. |
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