Critical Thinking and Application Questions Would a blood cl

Critical Thinking and Application Questions Would a blood clot lodged in one of the anterior or posterior communicating arteries of the cerebral arterial circle be likely to cause significant symptoms? Why or why not?

Solution

The cerebral arterial circle, also known as the circle of Willis, a circulatory system consisting of a set of arteries which supply blood to the brain and the surrounding structures. The cerebral arterial circle consists of the anterior/posterior cerebral artery, the anterior/posterior communicating artery and the internal carotid artery.

The significance of the arrangement of arteries in the circle of Willis is that, if one of the arteries get blocked or narrowed, the blood supply through the other arteries will prevent ischemia and preserve cerebral perfusion.

If a blood clot is lodged in the anterior communicating artery, it is fairly tolerated and less severe, the symptoms could be: Leg weakness, gait problems, and urinary incontinence.

If a blood clot is lodged in the posterior communicating artery, it is more severe. The symptoms could be: Visual defects, Weber\'s syndrome, Horner\'s syndrome, loss of sensations.

It is important to note that, the significance of the symptoms caused by the blood clot would depend on several factors like: Duration for which the clot is lodged in the arteries, size of the blood clot and degree of obstruction.