{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,18]],"date-time":"2026-08-18T04:55:18Z","timestamp":1787028918965,"version":"build-2736575974"},"reference-count":28,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"6","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,6,1]],"date-time":"2026-06-01T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1780272000000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Medicina"],"abstract":"<jats:p>Background and Objectives: The labyrinthine artery (LA) is a small but surgically important vessel encountered during procedures involving the cerebellopontine angle (CPA). Variations in its number, origin, and relationship to the facial\u2013vestibulocochlear nerve complex may increase the risk of vascular injury during CPA surgery. The aim of this cadaveric microdissection study was to evaluate the number, origin, and course of the LA within the CPA and to characterize its relationship to the anterior inferior cerebellar artery (AICA) and the facial\u2013vestibulocochlear nerve complex. Materials and Methods: Microsurgical dissections were performed bilaterally in 45 formalin-fixed adult cadavers (90 CPAs) using an operating microscope and vascular injection. The number, origin, and course of the LA were analyzed together with its relationship to the AICA and the facial\u2013vestibulocochlear nerve complex. Results: The LA was identified in all specimens. A single LA was observed in 57.8% of CPAs, whereas multiple LAs were identified in 42.2%. The artery most commonly originated from the AICA (65.6%), followed by a common trunk shared with the AICA (21.1%) and direct origin from the basilar artery (13.3%). In specimens with bifurcated AICAs forming double loops, multiple LAs frequently arose from both loops. Considerable variability was observed in the course of the LA relative to the facial\u2013vestibulocochlear nerve complex, including superior, inferior, and interposed courses. Bilateral asymmetry was identified in 15.6% of cadavers. Conclusions: The LA demonstrates substantial anatomical variability within the CPA regarding its number, origin, and neurovascular relationships. Although the artery most commonly arises from the apex or medial aspect of the AICA loop, its subsequent course may vary considerably. Careful microsurgical inspection remains essential during CPA surgery, as the configuration of the AICA alone is insufficient to reliably predict the distal trajectory of the LA.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/medicina62061073","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,6,1]],"date-time":"2026-06-01T12:19:42Z","timestamp":1780316382000},"page":"1073","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":1,"title":["Microsurgical Anatomy of the Labyrinthine Artery: A Cadaveric Microdissection Study of Number, Origin and Course at the Cerebellopontine Angle"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"62","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-3465-9474","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Ionu\u021b Isaia","family":"Jeican","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"National Institute for Research and Development of Isotopic and Molecular Technologies, 400293 Cluj-Napoca, Romania"},{"name":"\u201cSalvosan\u201d Polyclinic, 400012 Cluj-Napoca, Romania"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Costel Vasile","family":"Siserman","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Legal Medicine, Iuliu Ha\u021bieganu University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 400006 Cluj-Napoca, Romania"},{"name":"Institute of Legal Medicine, 400006 Cluj-Napoca, Romania"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Corneliu","family":"Toader","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Neurosurgery, Carol Davila University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 050474 Bucharest, Romania"},{"name":"Clinic of Neurosurgery, National Institute of Neurology and Neurovascular Diseases, 077160 Bucharest, Romania"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-1498-312X","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Veronica Elena","family":"Trombita\u0219","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Head and Neck Surgery and Otorhinolaryngology, Iuliu Ha\u021bieganu University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 400015 Cluj-Napoca, Romania"},{"name":"Department of ENT, University Clinical Hospital of Railway Company, 400015 Cluj-Napoca, Romania"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,6,1]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"464","DOI":"10.1007\/s10143-025-03592-0","article-title":"Surgical anatomy of the labyrinthine artery\u2014A systematic review and meta-analysis","volume":"48","author":"Tempski","year":"2025","journal-title":"Neurosurg. 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