Superior cerebellar artery

The superior cerebellar artery is the upper branch of the basilar artery, supplying the upper part of the cerebellum and parts of midbrain.

It passes lateralward, immediately below the oculomotor nerve, which separates it from the posterior cerebral artery, winds around the cerebral peduncle, close to the trochlear nerve, and, arriving at the upper surface of the cerebellum, divides into branches which ramify in the pia mater and anastomose with those of the anterior and posterior inferior cerebellar arteries.

Several branches are given to the pineal body, the anterior medullary velum, and the tela choroidea of the third ventricle.

Branches:

• Medial branch (medial superior cerebellar artery) for the dorsal surface of the cerebellum and the superior cerebellar peduncle
• Superior vermian branch that is the terminal portion of the medial branch.
• Lateral branch (lateral superior cerebellar artery) that turns lateralward at the anterior border of the cerebellum and supplies the superolateral portion of the cerebellum.