title: Tracheostomy reveals a rare aberrant right subclavian artery; a case report.
abstract: BACKGROUND: Anomalies of vascular anatomy in the neck are well recognised. We present a case of a very rare aberrant artery discovered during tracheostomy. CASE PRESENTATION: Elective tracheostomy was performed in theatre for an elderly gentleman on long-term ventilation. Pre-operative examination of the neck revealed no obvious abnormality. During surgery, a large vessel was revealed overlying the tracheal fourth ring. This was found to be an anomalous right subclavian artery. The procedure was completed without complication. CONCLUSIONS: The vessel abnormality described has not been previously documented in this context. It illustrates the importance of thorough pre-operative assessment of the neck and a sound knowledge of the potential for vascular abnormalities. The increasing prevalence of percutaneous dilatational tracheostomy techniques makes this lesson increasingly relevant.
authors.affiliation: Department of Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery, St Mary's Hospital, London W2 1NY, United Kingdom. neil_chadha@hotmail.com
authors.forename: Neil K
authors.initials: NK
authors.lastname: Chadha
authors.forename: Sandro
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Chiti-Batelli