A unilateral anomaly of the superior laryngeal artery passing through the thyroid cartilage lamina

The superior laryngeal artery supplies blood to the larynx and has important implications for neck surgery. We report a unilateral, anomalous continuation of this superior laryngeal artery in an elderly male cadaver. The superior laryngeal artery was enlarged from its origin down to the lateral lamina of the thyroid cartilage. At this point, the artery passed through the lamina and continued as an internal branch that supplied the larynx. No other vascular anomalies were noted. Although this anatomical variation is uncommon, the possibility of its occurrence should be kept in mind by clinicians and surgeons who manipulate this anatomical area.