Morphological findings of the origin of the common iliac arteries

Abstract

Introduction The origin of the common iliac arteries (AaIC) corresponds to the bifurcation of the abdominal aorta in the termino-aortic region. This origin is consistently prevertebral, but may present as either a high or a low bifurcation. Material and methods Our study was conducted on 232 cases: 52 dissections, 28 plastic injections, 12 Doppler ultrasounds, 44 conventional angiographies, and 96 CT angiographies (2D and 3D reconstructions). Results The origin of the AaIC was found between the lower half of vertebra L3 and the lower half of vertebra L5. With respect to the mid-vertebral line, in 53.19% of cases the origin was located to the left of the midline. In relation to the formation of the inferior vena cava (IVC), the AaIC origin was situated above the IVC in 71.05% of cases. The caliber of the right AaIC ranged between 8.4–14.8 mm, while that of the left AaIC ranged between 7.7–14.7 mm. The subiliac angle measured 19.8–75.9°, the right aorto-iliac angle 129.3–174°, and the left aorto-iliac angle 139.5–179.7°. The medio-iliac angle ranged from 7.5–41.4°. Conclusions Although often regarded as simple passage vessels, the common iliac arteries possess considerable morphophysiological and clinical significance. Alterations in their structure or function can lead to disorders in the dependent territories, frequently requiring medical—most often surgical–intervention. Key words: origin of AaIC-morphological findings. Abbreviations AoA: abdominal aorta; AaIC: common iliac arteries; AIC: common iliac artery; AIC dr: right common iliac artery; AIC st: left common iliac artery; disc iv: intervertebral disc; VCI: inferior vena cava.