Structure and Vascularization of the Human Hippocampus

The hippocampus is a temporal brain structure belonging to the limbic lobe and is fundamentally involved in memory processing, learning, and emotions. It consists of two allocortex laminae: the gyrus dentatus and the cornu ammonis, one rolled up inside the other, creating a bulge in the temporal horn of the lateral ventricle. Arterial vascularization of the hippocampus is dependent on the collateral branches of the posterior cerebral artery and the anterior choroidal artery, forming the network of superficial hippocampal arteries that in turn lead to deep intrahippocampal arteries. Venous vascularization is provided by the intrahippocampal veins, which drain into the superficial hippocampal veins. Knowledge of anatomical organization and vascularization of the hippocampus is essential to understanding its dysfunctions and its appearance on MRI. (C) 2014 S. Karger AG, Basel