Typology and formation of the arterial circle at the base of the brain in neonatal Saanen goats.

Diseases affecting the central nervous system of domestic animals account for a substantial proportion of the conditions encountered in clinical and surgical practice involving production animals. While the cerebral vascular anatomy is well characterized in humans; however, detailed information remains limited for many mammalian species, particularly regarding the origin of the basilar artery and the contribution of the vertebral artery. The study of the arteria distribution responsible for cerebral irrigation in domestic animals and species used as experimental models, from a phylogenetic perspective, remains relevant in biomedical research due to the high variability in vascular arrangements among species. This study aimed to describe the typology and formation of the arterial circle at the base of the brain in neonatal Saanen goats. Eleven heads from cadavers approximately one month of age (5 males and 6 females) were dissected, after fixation in 10% formaldehyde, followed by arterial injection with colored Petrolátex S-65. The mean and standard deviation of the basilar artery length was 2.5 ± 0.30 cm in females and 2.6 ± 0.22 cm in males. In all specimens, the basilar artery originated from the anastomosis of the right and left vertebral arteries, giving rise to branches supplying the medulla oblongata, the caudal cerebellar arteries, pontine branches, terminal branches, and rostral cerebellar arteries. The arteries at the base of the brain were supplied by both the carotid and vertebrobasilar systems. The encephalic vascular pattern showed a tendency toward type II. These findings are fundamental for understanding the cerebral vascularization of the species and its clinical-surgical applications.