Calcarine Sulcus

sulcus calcarinus

The calcarine sulcus runs horizontally across the medial surface of the occipital lobe from the occipital pole forwards to meet the parieto-occipital sulcus. The primary visual cortex lines its upper and lower banks, which carry the lower and upper visual fields respectively. In section, a white stripe in this cortex, the stria of Gennari, gives the area its name of striate cortex.

Anatomical Data

Structure & Connections

Location	Medial surface of the occipital lobe, from the occipital pole to the parieto-occipital sulcus
Parts	Primary visual cortex (upper and lower banks)
Connections	Lateral geniculate nucleus via the optic radiation Cuneus Lingual gyrus
Blood Supply	Posterior cerebral artery (calcarine artery)

Biomechanics

Function & Actions

Contains the primary visual cortex, where the opposite visual field is mapped in an orderly way.

Clinical Relevance

Clinical Notes

Lesions above the calcarine sulcus cause an inferior quadrant field loss, and lesions below it cause a superior quadrant loss, on the opposite side. Macular sparing in posterior cerebral artery strokes is often explained by dual blood supply of the occipital pole. The deep calcarine sulcus produces a bulge, the calcar avis, in the wall of the lateral ventricle.

Pathology

Common Injuries & Conditions

Homonymous Hemianopia

Loss of the same half of the visual field in both eyes from damage to the visual cortex along the calcarine sulcus.

Quadrantanopia

Loss of one quarter of the visual field from damage to one bank of the calcarine sulcus.

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