Postcentral gyrus
The postcentral gyrus lies in the parietal lobe, posterior to the central sulcus. It is the site of the primary somatosensory cortex. The somatosensory homunculus is the representation of the distribution of the contralateral body parts on the gyrus.
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Blood supply
The main blood supply is from the anterior cerebral artery (ACA) and the middle cerebral artery (MCA).
The medial portion of the postcentral gyrus is supplied by the ACA. The convexity of the postcentral gyrus is supplied by the MCA.
Related pathology
Compromise of either the ACA or MCA blood supply can lead to contralateral sensory deficits as part of ACA syndrome.
Practical points
On sagittal images, the thin postcentral gyrus sign 1 can be used to identify the postcentral gyrus. This sign states that the sagittal width of the postcentral gyrus is thinner than the precentral gyrus. Thus, the thin vertical gyrus and sulcus posterior the central sulcus are the postcentral gyrus and sulcus.
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Anatomy: Brain
-
brain
- grey matter
- white matter
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cerebrum
-
cerebral hemisphere (telencephalon)
- cerebral lobes and gyri
- frontal lobe
- parietal lobe
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occipital lobe
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- calcarine (visual) cortex
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cerebral sulci and fissures (A-Z)
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- preoccipital notch
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- rhinal sulcus
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- subparietal sulcus
- superior frontal sulcus
- superior occipital sulcus
- superior temporal sulcus
- cortical histology
- cerebral lobes and gyri
- white matter tracts
- deep grey matter
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pituitary gland
- posterior pituitary and stalk (part of diencephalon)
- anterior pituitary
- inferior hypophyseal arterial circle
- diencephalon
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cerebral hemisphere (telencephalon)
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brainstem
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cerebellum (part of metencephalon)
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cranial nerves (mnemonic)
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- facial nerve (CN VII) (segments mnemonic | branches mnemonic)
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- vagus nerve (CN X)
- spinal accessory nerve (CN XI)
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- CNS development
- cerebral vascular supply
- arteries
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circle of Willis
- internal carotid artery (ICA) (segments)
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normal variants
- intracranial arterial fenestration
- internal carotid artery (ICA)
- anterior cerebral artery (ACA)
- middle cerebral artery (MCA)
- posterior cerebral artery (PCA)
- basilar artery
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cerebral venous system
- dural venous sinuses
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cerebral veins
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superficial veins of the brain
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- superficial middle cerebral vein
- superior anastomotic vein (of Trolard)
- inferior anastomotic vein (of Labbe)
-
superficial veins of the brain
- deep veins of the brain
- normal variants
- arteries
- glymphatic pathway
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