Routes of blood supply to the head of the Pekin duck.
The principal routes of blood flow to the head in birds are the common carotid arteries and their branches. However, additional routes exist, and these were identified in White Pekin ducks. Metallic mercury was infused into the ischiatic artery of euthanized ducks with occluded brachiocephalic arteries during direct fluoroscopic visualization. In 7 of 10 birds, mercury reached the head through anastosmoses between the dorsal intercostal rami of the aorta and the descending vertebral arteries. In one bird, an anastomotsis was also present between the external iliac artery and the pectoral trunk. In 3 birds, no connections between the aorta and branches to the head could be demonstrated. It is likely that a small blood flow can reach the head through these anatomotses but it probably constitutes an insignificant fraction of the total.
D000792:Angiography / Q000662:veterinary; D000818:Animals; D004372:Ducks / Q000033:anatomy & histology*; D005260:Female; D005471:Fluoroscopy / Q000662:veterinary; D006257:Head / Q000098:blood supply*; D008297:Male