title: Carotid endarterectomy in rare bilateral carotid-vertebral anastomosis.
abstract: In the embryo, the anterior and the posterior cerebral circulations are connected by several longitudinal anastomotic vessels. These anastomoses disappear progressively, until the carotid and vertebrobasilar systems are connected only by a pair of posterior communicating arteries. These embryonal anastomoses rarely persist in adults and may have an important physiologic role during carotid surgery. We report a case in which a patient with bilateral embryonal carotid-vertebral anastomoses underwent right carotid endarterectomy for asymptomatic internal carotid stenosis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Vascular Surgery, University of Florence, Italy. vasc.cesit1.unifi.it
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Pulli
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Gatti
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Pratesi
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D015901:Angiography, Digital Subtraction; D002343:Carotid Artery, Internal / Q000002:abnormalities* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D016893:Carotid Stenosis / Q000150:complications / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000601:surgery; D016894:Endarterectomy, Carotid; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D014711:Vertebral Artery / Q000002:abnormalities* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging