Middle cerebral artery

The MCA has cortical branches and deep penetrating branches, which are called the lateral lenticulo-striate arteries.

The territory of the lateral lenticulo-striate perforating arteries of the MCA is indicated with a different color from the rest of the territory of the MCA because it is a well-defined area supplied by penetrating branches, which may be involved or spared in infarcts separately from the main cortical territory of the MCA. 

  Below a T2W-image of a patient with an infarction in the territory of the middle cerebral artery (MCA).
Notice that the lateral lenticulo-striate perforating arteries of the MCA are also involved (orange arrow).

MCA infarction. Involvement of cortical branches and deep perforating lenticulo-striate arteries