• Serhat Sevki Baydin, Kaan Yagmurlu, Necmettin Tanriover, Abuzer Gungor, and Albert L Rhoton.
• Neurosurgery. 2015 Aug 1;62 Suppl 1:204.

IntroductionTo examine the microsurgical anatomy of the nucleus accumbens and related structures using fiber dissection technique.MethodsTen formalin-fixed human brains and 2 cadaveric heads were examined by fiber dissection technique under ×6-40 magnifications. The nucleus accumbens was examined from the lateral, medial, superior, and inferior sides to define its cortical and subcortical relationships and connections. Three Tesla MRI with 1-mm slices was used to define its neuronavigation coordinates. Measurements of the nucleus accumbens were taken using electronic scales.ResultsThe nucleus accumbens is located below the medial edge of the head of the caudate nucleus, anteroinferior to the body and inferomedial to the anterior crus of the anterior commissure and anterior limb of the internal capsule, posterior and superior to the olfactory tubercle, and lateral to the vertical limb of the diagonal band of Broca and cingulum. The nuclei bordering the nucleus accumbens are the septal and caudate nuclei, putamen, hypothalamus, substantia innominata, and indusium griseum. The nucleus accumbens is wrapped in a capsule of fibers formed by the uncinate fasciculus, cingulum, stria medullaris thalami, diagonal band of Broca, stria terminalis, medial olfactory stria, and forceps minor.ConclusionThe nucleus accumbens and its related cortical and subcortical gray matter and fiber pathways play a major role in the etiopathogenesis of psychiatric disorders. Therefore, a better understanding of the neuroanatomical features of the nucleus accumbens and its related structures will enable more accurate surgical treatment of neuropsychiatric disorders.

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