Tuberothalamic infarct after division of a hypoplastic posterior communicating artery for clipping of a basilar tip aneurysm: case report. The authors present a case of a tuberothalamic infarct subsequent to division of the posterior communicating artery for clipping of a high-lying aneurysm of the basilar bifurcation using the pterional approach. In view of this clinical observation and some particular aspects of the microsurgical anatomy of the perforating vessels of the posterior communicating artery, we conclude that interrupting this parent vessel carries a significant risk of infarction. 