The anatomical variability of the superficial circumflex iliac artery

Abstract

Introduction. The superficial circumflex iliac artery (SCIA) is a branch that originates either from the external iliac artery (EIA), or common femoral artery (CFA). Its anatomic variability is particularly relevant in plastic surgery, general surgery, and traumatology/orthopedics. Material and methods. We retrospectively reviewed 2158 ultrasonographic images of the anterior thigh region from the Republican Medical Diagnostic Center, Functional Diagnosis Department, Chisinau, Republic of Moldova. Rigorous inclusion and exclusion criteria were applied. Additionally, 29 bibliographic sources were reviewed and discussed. Results. The mean age of the patients was 63.4±10.68 years. In 387 cases (17.93%),SCIA originated from the CFA, while in 1771 cases (82.07%) it emerged from the EIA. SCIA originated from the CFA unilaterally in 194 cases (8.99%) on the left side and 142 cases (6.58%) on the right side, while bilateral origin from the CFA was observed in 51 cases (2.36%) Discussion. The results in literature were suggestive for a higher prevalence of SCIA origin from the CFA with only one author suggesting the origin of this branch from the EIA, which aligns with our findings. This information is valuable for clinical applications, including hernia repairs, vascular and endovascular surgical interventions, nerve blocks, and skin grafts transplantation. Conclusions. The most common origin of the SCIA was from the EIA. No significant sex differences were observed, but laterality showed notable variations. Age was analyzed as a factor.