title: Retroesophageal right subclavian artery with persistent ductus arteriosus.
abstract: We report an adult male cadaver with persistence of the ductus arteriosus and a right retroesophageal artery. The retroesophageal artery was first appreciated as a retropharyngeal mass during the dissection of this area. Both the left and right vertebral arteries originated in normal fashion. The thoracic duct of our specimen drained into the junction of the left internal jugular and left subclavian veins. We believe this to be the first report of simultaneous right retroesophageal subclavian artery and patent ductus arteriosus. The anatomy and embryology of these two anomalies in the same specimen are discussed.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cell Biology, University of Alabama, Children's Hospital, Birmingham, Alabama, USA. richard.tubbs@ccc.uab.edu
authors.forename: R Shane
authors.initials: RS
authors.lastname: Tubbs
authors.forename: W Jerry
authors.initials: WJ
authors.lastname: Oakes
authors.forename: E George
authors.initials: EG
authors.lastname: Salter
authors.forename: Steven J
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Zehren
mesh_terms: D004374:Ductus Arteriosus, Patent / Q000473:pathology*; D004947:Esophagus / Q000002:abnormalities* / Q000503:physiopathology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D013348:Subclavian Artery / Q000002:abnormalities* / Q000473:pathology; D013897:Thoracic Duct / Q000033:anatomy & histology; D014711:Vertebral Artery / Q000033:anatomy & histology; D044465:White People