Internal Carotid Artery Classification Systems

Methods:Development of medicine and anatomical knowledge in particular attempt to produce a detailed description of the human body.The ultimate goal is a better preparation for the necessary surgical procedures in the anatomical area of interest.Research on the anatomy and topography of the internal carotid artery (ICA) and its following classification systems mirrored this progress and the technical and technological discoveries in the area of imaging and treatment of the ICA pathologies.A review of the literature was performed using the MEDLINE database and other offl ine bibliographic sources.The search included only human studies between 1938 and 2017.All open dissection, endoscopic and angiographic studies were included.We present the evolution of the internal carotid artery classifi cation systems starting from the classic work of Willis.This development follows the needs for adjusting the ICA divisions to clinical applications, both radiologic in classic angiographic diagnosis and therapeutic through an extensive skull base surgical approaches to more and more popular endoscopic transnasal and other ICA procedures.As described above, the ICA anatomy and topography still undergoes an extensive variety of research projects which put more and more light on this clinically important and very interesting vessel.