Positional Variations of the External and the Internal Carotid Artery
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.5457/ams.v39i2.44Keywords:
external carotid artery, internal carotid artery, anatomy, variationsAbstract
Introduction: clinical examination and surgical procedures require the knowledge of anatomical peculiarities of a complex area such as neck, especially if the anomalies in develoment of vascular system may occur. Aim: to investigate the mutual relation of the initial parts of the internal carotid artery and the external carotid artery, as well as the height of crossing of these blood vessels. Patients and methods: we evaluated 50 patients referred to diagnostic center of the PZU „Medicom“ Zenica, by using of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the neck. Results: External carotid artery is placed medially and goes to the frontal side of the internal carotid artery in 90% cases. In 7% of cases the right internal carotid artery is placed laterall from the internal carotid artery. Divergent position, where the internal carotid artery (medially) and the external carotid artery go away from each other, was found in 1% of cases. We also found that the internal carotid artery and external carotid artery cross approximately 3.04 cm above the bifurcation (at right 3.05 cm and at left 3.12 cm) and the height of the crossing varies from 1.3 cm to 4.2 cm (at right 1.3 cm to 4.2 cm, and at left 1.5 cm to 4.1 cm). The height of crossing is symmetric in 18% of cases. Reversal of the position of the external and internal carotid arteries was found in 7% cases. Conclusion: The possibility of an inversed disposition of the internal and external carotid arteries must be held in mind when performing arterial ligatures in the carotid triangle, to avoid damage to the internal carotid artery or haemorrhagic accidents.
Downloads
Published
Issue
Section
License
Copyright transfer
The listed authors warrant that they are the authors and sole owners of the submitted manuscript. The authors also warrant that the work is original; that it has not been previously published in print or electronic format and is not under consideration by another publisher or electronic medium; that it has not been previously transferred, assigned, or otherwise encumbered; and that the authors have full power to grant such rights. With respect to the results of this work, the manuscript of this or substantially similar content will not be submitted to any other journal until the review process in the Acta Medica Salinianana has been officially completed (acceptance or rejection of the manuscript). The paper will not be withdrawn from the review process by the Acta Medica Saliniana Editorial Board until the review process is completed. The authors will comply with the requests of the Acta Medica Saliniana Editors and reviewers to improve the paper for publication. The eventual disagreements will be submitted in a written form; the authors are aware that the disagreement(s) with the Acta Medica Saliniana requests may result in the rejection of the manuscript. The authors hereby grant to the Acta Medica Saliniana the right to edit, revise, abridge, and condense the manuscript. If the manuscript is accepted for publication in the Acta Medica Saliniana, the authors hereby transfer the copyright of the paper to the Acta Medica Saliniana. The authors permit the Acta Medica Saliniana to allow third parties to copy any part of the journal without asking for permission, provided that the reference to the source is given. For papers with more than one author: All other co-authors agree to allow the corresponding author to make decisions regarding prepublication release of the information in the paper to the media, federal agencies, or both.
