Aberrant course and anatomical variants of the branches of the aortic arch

Abstract

The aortic arch is the segment of the thoracic aorta located between its ascending and descending portions at the level of the 4th thoracic vertebra. Its main collateral branches constitute the supra aortic trunks (SAT). We reported 4 cases of variations of these trunks. The first two cases show 2 supra aortic trunks with a right bicarotido-subclavian trunk; the third, 4 supra aortic trunks with a right vertebral-subclavian trunk and the fourth, an origin’s variant and an aberrant course of the supra aortic trunks. These variants find their explanation in the embryology and are important to be known by the neurologist, the neurosurgeon, the vascular surgeon, the otolaryngologist and the radiologist for an adequate diagnosis and therapy.

Keywords: Aortic arch, SAT, Aberrant path.