Rare anastomosis between the ascending pharyngeal and vertebral arteries via the hypoglossal canal: A cadaveric case report
- Author:
Stephen J. BORDES
1
;
Sina ZARRINTAN
;
Joe IWANAGA
;
Marios LOUKAS
;
Aaron S. DUMONT
;
R. Shane TUBBS
Author Information
- Publication Type:Case Report
- From:Anatomy & Cell Biology 2021;54(3):399-403
- CountryRepublic of Korea
- Language:English
- Abstract: We present a rare case of external carotid artery-vertebral artery anastomosis via the ascending pharyngeal artery, diagnosed upon cadaveric dissection. The ascending pharyngeal artery gave rise to a branch to the hypoglossal canal, which is a variation of a true persistent fetal hypoglossal artery. Knowledge of persistent carotid-vertebrobasilar anastomoses is important as these fetal vessels can contribute significantly to the posterior cerebral circulation. Only 10 cases of external carotid artery-vertebrobasilar artery anastomoses have been reported to our knowledge, and our case presents the first cadaveric dissection of this rare variation.
