Internal Carotid Artery - Classification

Classification

Terminologia Anatomica in 1998 subdivided the artery into four parts: "cervical", "petrous", "cavernous", and "cerebral". However, in clinical settings, the classification system of the internal carotid artery follows the 1996 recommendations by Bouthillier, and describes seven anatomical segments of the internal carotid artery. The Bouthillier system is often used clinically by neurosurgeons, neuroradiologists and neurologists. This nomenclature system is a clinical one, based on the angiographic appearance of the artery and its relationship to surrounding anatomy, in contrast to an embryologic classification system. An older clinical classification is based on work by Fischer in 1938 is also commonly used, as well as classification schemes based on the embryologic anatomy of the carotid artery.

The segments of the internal carotid artery are as follows:

• Cervical segment, or C1, identical to the commonly used Cervical portion
• Petrous segment, or C2
• Lacerum segment, or C3
  • C2 and C3 compose the commonly termed Petrous portion
• Cavernous segment, or C4, almost identical to the commonly used Cavernous portion
• Clinoid segment, or C5. This segment is not identified in some earlier classifications, and lies between the commonly used Cavernous portion and Cerebral or Supraclinoid portion

• Ophthalmic, or supraclinoid segment, or C6
• Communicating, or terminal segment, or C7
  • C6 and C7 together constitute the commonly used Cerebral or Supraclinoid portion

Mnemonic for Branches in Skull: Please Let Children Consume Our Candy

• first letter for each branch in order.