Anatomical Variations of the Circle of Willis: A Time-of-Flight MRI Morphological Analysis

Dr. Hadiqa Shirin, Dr. Deep Kumar Roy, Dr. Subhrasmita Bhoi, Dr. Rupak Bhuyan, Dr. Aniruddha Basu, Dr. Suresh Killing

Abstract: The Circle of Willis, a crucial anatomical structure in the cerebrovascular system, plays a vital role in maintaining cerebral blood flow through its intricate network of communicating arteries. This prospective observational study utilized 1.5 T Time-of-Flight Magnetic Resonance Angiography (TOF-MRA) to investigate the morphological variations in the Circle of Willis among 30 participants aged 18?80 years. The findings revealed that 63.3% of participants exhibited variations in the Circle of Willis, with the posterior circulation showing the highest frequency of abnormalities. The most common variation was hypoplasia of the posterior communicating artery (23.3%). The study highlights significant individual differences in cerebral arterial configurations, emphasizing their potential impact on cerebrovascular health and collateral circulation. These findings call for personalized approaches in assessing cerebrovascular risks, while also acknowledging the study?s limitations, including its small sample size and single-center design.

Keywords: Circle of Willis, cerebral blood flow, TOF-MRA, cerebrovascular variations, neurovascular anatomy