Vascular supply (Circle of Willis) — MCQs

A 38-year-old woman with moyamoya disease undergoes cerebral angiography showing bilateral progressive stenosis of distal internal carotid arteries with extensive collateral formation. She has had multiple TIAs despite medical management. CT perfusion shows reduced flow in bilateral MCA territories. The neurosurgery team debates between direct bypass (STA-MCA) versus indirect revascularization (EDAS). Evaluate the optimal approach considering Circle of Willis pathophysiology.

A 70-year-old man undergoes elective clipping of an unruptured basilar tip aneurysm. Preoperative angiography shows bilateral fetal-type posterior cerebral arteries (PCAs arising from internal carotid arteries) with hypoplastic P1 segments. The aneurysm involves both posterior communicating artery origins. Synthesize an approach to surgical planning that optimally preserves cerebral perfusion.

A 42-year-old woman presents with progressive cognitive decline, early-onset dementia, and recurrent subcortical strokes. Genetic testing reveals CADASIL (Cerebral Autosomal Dominant Arteriopathy with Subcortical Infarcts and Leukoencephalopathy). MR angiography shows no large vessel abnormalities but extensive white matter changes. Her sister, also affected, is considering pregnancy. Evaluate the counseling regarding Circle of Willis anatomy and implications for disease manifestations.

A 55-year-old man with diabetes and hypertension undergoes carotid endarterectomy for critical left internal carotid stenosis. Postoperatively, he develops right homonymous hemianopia without motor deficits. Intraoperative transcranial Doppler had shown reduced flow in the ipsilateral middle cerebral artery but preserved anterior cerebral artery flow. Analyze the most likely mechanism for this specific deficit pattern.

A 28-year-old woman presents with bilateral lower extremity weakness worse than upper extremity weakness, abulia, and urinary incontinence. MRI reveals bilateral anterior cerebral artery territory infarcts. Angiography shows an azygos anterior cerebral artery variant. Analyze the anatomical basis for this patient's bilateral deficits from a presumed single vascular occlusion.