title: Anomalous bifurcation and island formation of the carotid artery.
abstract: An anomalous artery directly connecting the common carotid artery and internal carotid artery was discovered on the right side in the cadaver of an 83-year-old Japanese female, and the facial artery, maxillary artery, and superficial temporal artery arose from the common carotid artery by a common trunk. The anomalous artery arose from the posterior aspect of the common carotid artery at the level of the origin of the superior thyroid artery, and joined the posterior aspect of the internal carotid artery. The anomalous artery was covered by the connective tissue surrounding the common carotid artery and the internal carotid artery. The anomalous anastomosis, especially the proximal portion, may have arisen from the second branchial arch artery during development.
authors.affiliation: Department of Anatomy, Kanagawa Dental College, 82 Inaoka, Yokosuka, Kanagawa, 238-8580, Japan.
authors.forename: Akira
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Iimura
authors.forename: Takeshi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Oguchi
authors.forename: Yoshikazu
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Yamazaki
authors.forename: Masato
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Matsuo
authors.forename: Shuang-Qin
authors.initials: SQ
authors.lastname: Yi
authors.forename: Masahiro
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Itoh
authors.forename: Tsuneo
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Takahashi
mesh_terms: D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001013:Aorta, Thoracic / Q000002:abnormalities; D002102:Cadaver; D017536:Carotid Artery, Common / Q000002:abnormalities*; D002343:Carotid Artery, Internal / Q000002:abnormalities*; D004210:Dissection; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans