Carotid rete mirabile is an arterial meshwork, occurring at the cavernous portion of the internal carotid artery (ICA). Rete mirabile in humans is not present during normal development of the intracranial circulation and hence is considered as a collateral pathway that develops as a consequence of segmental agenesis of the ICA. We report three cases of this rare entity encountered at our institute.
ChenCJChenSTHsiehFYet al.Hypoplasia of the internal carotid artery with intercavernous anastomosis. Neuroradiology1998; 40: 252–254.
2.
KarasawaJTouhoHOhnishiHet al.Rete mirabile in humans – Case report. Neuro Med Chir (Tokyo)1997; 37(2): 188–192.
3.
HyogoTNakagawaraJNakamuraJet al.Multiple segmental agenesis of the cerebral arteries: case report. Neuroradiology1996; 38(5): 433–436.
4.
LeeSYChaSH. Bilateral carotid and vertebral rete mirabile presenting with a prominent anterior spinal artery mimicking a spinal dural AV fistula at MRI. Korean J Radiol2011; 12(6): 740–744.
5.
LasjauniasPSantoyo-VazquezA. Segmental agenesis of the internal carotid artery: angiographic aspects with embryologic discussion. Anat Clin1984; 6(2): 133–141.
6.
DanielPMDawesJDKPrichardML. Studies of the carotid rete and its associated arteries. Philos Trans R Soc Ser B1953; 237: 173–215.
7.
MahadevanJBatistaLAlvarezHet al.Bilateral segmental regression of the carotid and vertebral arteries with rete compensation in a western patient. Neuroradiology2004; 46: 444–449.
8.
LiGJayaramanMVLadSPet al.Carotid and vertebral rete mirabile in man presenting with intraparenchymal hemorrhage: a case report. J Stroke Cerebrovasc Dis2006; 15: 228–231.
9.
KooAHNewtonTH. Pseudoxanthoma elasticum associated with carotid rete mirabile. Case report. Am J Roentgenol Radium Ther Nucl Med1972; 116: 16–22.