Progress on the correlation between circle of Willis and cerebral large and small vessel diseases

Abstract

The circle of Willis constitutes the primary collateral circulation of the brain, exerting a significant influence on the distribution of intracranial blood flow. Variations of the circle of Willis can impact the cerebrovascular diseases by diminishing collateral compensation capacity and altering the stability of intracranial hemodynamics. This paper reviews the research progress on the association between circle of Willis and cerebral large vessel disease [such as intracranial arterial dolichoectasia (IADE) and intracranial atherosclerotic stenosis (ICAS)], as well as cerebral small vessel disease (CSVD), so as to provide new ideas for the diagnosis and treatment for these diseases.

DOI: 10.3969/j.issn.1672⁃6731.2023.11.003