Infraoptic course of the anterior cerebral artery associated with a Tuberculum Sellae meningioma: Case report

Background: Variations of the anterior cerebral artery complex are very common, however an infraoptic course of the A1 is very rare. First case was described by Robinson in 1959 during an anatomic dissection. We present the case of a skull base meningioma associated with this vascular variation. Preoperative recognition of the arterial anomaly is important in planning the microsurgical treatment of skull base lesions. Case description: We present the case of a patient with a tuberculum Sellae meningioma associated with an infra optic origin of the anterior cerebral artery. Implications and possible embryological explanations are discussed. Conclusions: While there are several numbers of variations of the course of the anterior cerebral artery, it is not so often described the presence of an infraoptic course. It is important to be aware of this variation due to its relevance during microsurgical procedures.