Report of an unusual combination of arterial, venous and neural variations in a cadaveric upper limb.
In this study an unusual combination of arterial, venous and neural variations discovered during dissection of cervical, axillary and brachial area of a cadaver is described. Variations are thoroughly described and literature is briefly reviewed. Lateral cord of brachial plexus was not formed; Eight Cervical root divided into anterior and posterior division before uniting with First Thoracic root and Upper Trunk was unusually short. Axillary artery gave origin to a superficial brachial artery and then continued as deep brachial artery. Multiple variations in typical axillary artery branches were present including existence of inferior pectoral artery. Cephalic vein was absent. A variety of interventions, from relative simple as central venous catheter placement to most complicated as brachial plexus injury repair demand thorough knowledge of area's regional anatomy. Familiarity with anatomic variations allows more precise and careful interventions. Research on these variations is valuable for anatomists and embryologists but also for clinicians because it may provide useful information for non - typical cases but also helps in raising a high level of suspicion.
Department of Anatomy, Faculty of Medicine, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens, Greece.
Theodore G
TG
Troupis
Department of Anatomy, Faculty of Medicine, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens, Greece.
Adamantios
A
Michalinos
Department of Anatomy, Faculty of Medicine, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens, Greece.
Vasiliki
V
Manou
Department of Anatomy, Faculty of Medicine, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens, Greece.
Dimitrios
D
Vlastos
Department of Anatomy, Faculty of Medicine, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens, Greece.
Elizabeth O
EO
Johnson
Department of Anatomy, Faculty of Medicine, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens, Greece.
Theano
T
Demesticha
Department of Anatomy, Faculty of Medicine, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens, Greece.
Panayiotis
P
Skandalakis
Brachial artery; Brachial plexus; Cephalic vein