The relationship between the facial nerves and the cerebral arteries around it

An internal carotid artery on each side and a pair of vertebral arteries go into the brain and form the circle of Willis. The posterior communicating artery connects this with the posterior cerebral artery on each side of the brain. The vertebral arteries merge into one under the pons to form the basilar artery.

The vertebral arteries refer to what divides from the subclavian artery into the vertebral arteries that again merge together into the basilar artery. There is much variation in the location of the origin, the direction it moves, and size. The arteries that divide from the cranial cavity of the vertebral artery are the posterior spinal artery, the anterior spinal artery, and the posterior inferior cerebellar artery. The two vertebral arteries merge under the pons and continue as the basilar artery and divides into numerous little perforating arteries, anterior inferior cerebellar artery, and superior cerebellar artery. The basilar artery finally ends at the superior margin of the pons, where it is divided into the posterior cerebral artery on each side of the brain.



* Cranial nerves: Ⅲ(oculomotor nerve), Ⅳ(trochlear nerve), Ⅴ(trigeminal nerve), Ⅵ(abducens nerve), Ⅶ(facial nerve), Ⅷ(auditory nerve; vestibulocochlear nerve), Ⅸ(glossopharyngeal nerve), Ⅹ(vagus nerve)

* Cranial arteries: VA(vertebral artery), BA(basilar artery), PCA(posterior cerebral artery), PICA(posterior inferior cerebellar artery), AICA(anterior inferior cerebellar artery), SCA(superior cerebellar artery)



In many cases, the anterior inferior cerebellar artery, the posterior inferior cerebellar artery, the vertebral artery, or the vein are the causes of pressure on the facial nerves. There are cases where several blood vessels cause pressure on the facial nerves.