Study of Branching Pattern of External Carotid Artery

Background: Anatomical information of vasculature is of need for the surgeons and radiologists. Carotid artery and its branches supply most of head, neck, and brain. Injuries to the external carotid artery and its branches is often complex and results in high mortality. Knowledge of types and frequencies of vascular variations of external carotid artery is of help for invasive diagnostic and interventional procedures. Materials and methods: 50 external carotid arteries were dissected to study the branching pattern of external carotid artery. Results: Conventional branching pattern was seen in 58% specimens. Superior thyroid artery originated from common carotid artery in 12% specimens. Linguofacial trunk was observed in 16%. Occipital artery and ascending pharyngeal artery rose from a single trunk in 12%. Origin of facial artery from maxillary artery was observed in one specimen. Conclusion: Study of variations in the branching pattern of the external carotid artery adds to the existing anatomical knowledge. Variations in the branching pattern is of definite help for interventional radiologists, vascular, craniofacial and neck surgeons.

An anatomical study of the facial artery / Un estudio anatómico de la arteria facial

The facial artery (a branch of the external carotid artery) is the main artery of the face. It gives rise to seven branches viz. inferior labial, superior labial, inferior alar, superior alar, lateral nasal and angular arteries, which are variable. This study included a dissection of twenty embalmed adult cadaveric head and neck specimens. The parameters of origin, branching patterns, termination and variations were analysed and compared with sex and laterality. The facial artery followed the standard anatomical description of origin in 84.62 % of the sample. Variations: (i) origin as a linguofacial trunk in 12.82 % and (ii) high origin in 2.56 % was observed. Male specimens displayed a higher number of linguofacial trunk origins (7.69 %). The branching patterns of the facial artery was classified into six types, with subtypes for Types 1 and 2. Subtype 1-A (standard anatomical description with early termination) occurred in most of the sample (46.15 %). Males were found to have more variations in branching patterns than females (48.72 % and 41.03 % respectively). Termination of the facial artery was as follows: inferior labial artery (5.13 %), superior labial artery (10.26 %), inferior alar artery (10.26 %), superior alar artery (46.15 %), lateral nasal artery (5.13 %), and angular artery (20.51 %). A single case (2.56 %) of an abortive artery was noted. Statistical analysis showed that sex was independent of each parameter observed in this study. Anatomical knowledge of the facial artery is of importance to clinicians and surgeons during procedures such as musculomucosal, island flaps and aesthetic dermatology.

La arteria facial (una rama de la arteria carótida externa) es la arteria principal de la cara. Da lugar a siete ramas: labial inferior, labial superior, alar inferior, alar superior, arterias nasales y angulares laterales, además de ramas pequeñas variables. Este estudio incluyó una disección de veinte muestras de cabeza y cuello de cadáveres adultos fijados. Los parámetros de origen, patrones de ramificación, terminación y variaciones fueron analizados y comparados con el sexo y la lateralidad. La arteria facial se originó de manera normal en el 84,62 % de la muestra. Variaciones: (i) origen como tronco linguofacial en 12.82 % y (ii) se observó un origen alto en 2,56 %. Las muestras en los hombres mostraron un mayor número de orígenes del tronco linguofacial (7,69 %). Los patrones de ramificación de la arteria facial se clasificaron en seis tipos, con subtipos para los Tipos 1 y 2. El subtipo 1-A (descripción anatómica normal con terminación temprana) se observó en (46,15 %) de la muestra. Las muestras de varones tenían una mayor variación en los patrones de ramificación que las muestras de mujeres, 48,72 % y 41,03 % respectivamente. La terminación de la arteria facial fue la siguiente: arteria labial inferior (5,13 %), arteria labial superior (10,26 %), arteria alar inferior (10,26 %), arteria alar superior (46,15 %), arteria nasal lateral (5,13 %) y arteria angular (20,51 %). Se observó un solo caso (2,56 %) de una arteria abortiva. El análisis estadístico mostró que el sexo era independiente de cada parámetro observado en este estudio. El conocimiento anatómico de la arteria facial es importante para los médicos y cirujanos durante procedimientos como colgajos musculomucosal y en la dermatología estética.

Bilateral thyrolinguofacial trunk: unusual and rare branching pattern of external carotid artery / 대한해부학회지

Prior knowledge of arterial supply to the head and neck is of substantial importance for well-planned surgeries involving the concerned region. We are reporting an unusual and rare variation in the branching pattern of external carotid artery in a 60-year-old female cadaver. A common trunk known as thyrolinguofacial trunk, originating from the anterior surface of the external carotid artery (right and left) giving of superior thyroid artery and a linguofacial trunk during a routine neck dissection. The linguofacial trunk then divided into a lingual and a facial artery. Vascular abnormalities are usually detected either on the dissection table or by the radiologists during imaging or accidently during surgeries leading to serious consequences.

Unilateral variations of vessels and nerves in the neck / Variación unilateral de vasos y nervios en el cuello

Variations of vessels and nerves in the left neck side, of 65 year old male cadaver, during the routine dissections, were detected. It was observed that the linguofacial trunk originated from external carotid artery and that the ascending pharyngeal artery originated from the occipital artery. It was determined that after the laryngeopharyngeales rami originated from the superior cervical ganglion, the branch wound around the origin of the superior thyroid artery. As an additional variation, the internal jugular vein divided. The cervical ansa and the inferior belly of the omohyoid muscle passed through the parts of the vein. We think that these type of variation can entail important difficulties during radiologic and surgical procedures of the neck region. To know these anatomical variations, is important for the anatomist and surgeons.

Durante una disección de rutina, fue observada en el lado izquierdo del cuello de un cadáver de sexo masculino de 65 años de edad variaciones anatómicas vasculares y nerviosas. Se observó que el tronco linguofacial se originaba de la arteria carótida externa y que la arteria faríngea ascendente se origina en la arteria occipital. Se determinó que los ramos laringofaríngeos originadas desde el ganglio cervical superior, giraban en torno al origen de la arteria tiroidea superior. Como una variación adicional, la vena jugular interna se encontró dividida. El asa cervical y el vientre inferior del músculo omohioideo pasaban a través de las partes de la división de la vena. Creemos que este tipo de variaciones supone dificultades importantes durante procedimientos radiológicos y quirúrgicos de la región del cuello, y por tanto, es importante que los cirujanos conozcan estas variaciones.

Extraoral Ligature of Lingual Artery: Anatomic and Topographic Study / Ligadura Extraoral de la Arteria Lingual: Estudio Anatómico y Topográfico

The lingual artery constitutes one of the branches of the external carotid artery, which is responsible for the vascularization of the tongue and neighbour regions. The hemorrhage caused by a lesion of the lingual artery can occur during a dental procedure (surgical accidents by the use of an instrument or rotating disc), by trauma, biopsy and dental implant. In some cases is difficult to stop the hemorrhage of injured vase, so is necessary to realize the extraoral ligature of this artery. Hence, this work studied the anatomic aspects of the lingual artery, by forty-eight dissections of twenty-four corpses settled in formol 10%, aiming to detail the origin, pathway and anatomic relations of the lingual artery in the region of anterior trigone of the neck, and also to measure the distances among the lingual artery and the arteries: facial, superior thyroid and with the bifurcation of the common carotid. The results concluded that the lingual artery is found in a position more inferior than classicaly described, based on the digastric muscle and the hypoglossal nerve; and that the hyoid bone can be used as a point of reference for the surgical access to the lingual artery in the region of the anterior trigone of the neck.

La arteria lingual es un ramo de la arteria carótida externa, responsable de la vascularización de la lengua y regiones vecinas. La hemorragia proveniente de una lesión de la arteria lingual puede ocurrir durante el procedimento dental (accidentes operatorios por un instrumento quirúrgico o disco rotatorio), por trauma, biopsia y por colocación de implante dentario. Como en algunos casos, se vuelve difícil contener la hemorragia donde el vaso fue lesionado, se hace necesario realizar la ligadura extra-oral de esta arteria. Por lo anterior, en este trabajo fueron estudiados los aspectos anatómicos de la arteria lingual, en 48 disecciones de cadáveres humanos fijados en formol 10%, con el objetivo de detallar el origen, trayecto y relaciones anatómicas de esta arteria en la región del trígono anterior del cuello, como también medir las distancias entre la arteria lingual y las arterias: facial, tireoidea superior y con la bifurcación de la arteria carótida común. Los resultados permitieron concluir que la arteria lingual se encuentra, generalmente, más inferior de lo clásicamente descrito, tomándose como base el músculo digástrico y el nervio hipogloso; y que el hueso hioide puede ser usado como punto de referencia para el acceso quirúrgico a la arteria lingual, en la región del trígono anterior del cuello.