Anterolateral central arteries

The anterolateral central arteries (antero-lateral ganglionic branches or lenticulostriate arteries) are a group of small arteries which arise at the commencement of the middle cerebral artery. They are arranged in two sets:


 * one, the internal striate, passes upward through the inner segments of the lentiform nucleus, and supplies it, the caudate nucleus, and the internal capsule;
 * the other, the external striate, ascends through the outer segment of the lentiform nucleus, and supplies the caudate nucleus.

More modern texts divide the anterolateral central arteries into "lateral striate arteries" and "medial striate arteries". The lenticulostriate arteries originate from the initial segment of middle cerebral artery (MCA). They are small perforating arteries, which enter the underside of the brain substance to supply blood to part of the basal ganglia and posterior limb of the internal capsule. The lenticulostriate perforators are end arteries.

The name of these arteries is derived from some of the structures it supplies: the lenticular nucleus and the striatum.