Variant anatomy of the aortic arch branches

Abstract

The aortic arch, arcus aortae, is a continuation of the ascending aorta, aorta ascendens. The arch starts at the level of the second rib cartilage near the left margin of the sternum. The highest point of the aortic arch is projected on the centre of the manubrium stemi. Main branches of the aortic arch are: truncus brachiocephalicus, left common carotid, left subclavian artery. We analyzed the variants of the main aortic arch branches origin using the corpse material at the Human Anatomy Department. The object of the study - 8 human corpses of the both sex. Methods of the study - macropreparation, micropreparation, morphometry. In the majority of cases the classic variant was presented. The most interesting case was the example of the anomalous arteries origin as 5 branches of the aortic arch: the right common carotid artery, the left common carotid artery, the left vertebral artery, the left subclavian artery, the right subclavian artery. The arch of the aorta passed to the left of the trachea and curved posteriorly. The first branch was the right common carotid artery, next aroused the left common carotid artery, than arose the left subclavian artery and at last from the posterior wall of the aortic arch in 4 mm laterally from the left subclavian artery appeared the right subclavian artery. It passed from the posterior wall and turned to the right, passed behind the trachea and oesophagus. No other anomalies of arterial structure were revealed in the cadaver. The study of the vascular variant anatomy is of the great interest nowadays. Especially it is due to the high rate of the vascular surgery development. Today the medicine obtains specific technologies to help people with different vascular pathology (aneurysm, congenital cardiac malformations etc.). In this situation the accumulating and broadening knowledge about the topographic-anatomical characteristics of the aortic arch branches is actual.