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. 2013:2013:894804.
doi: 10.1155/2013/894804. Epub 2013 Jul 31.

Bilateral lower cervical bifurcation of the common carotid artery

Lokman Uzun  1 , Numan Kokten, Adem Kilicaslan, Bulent Tasel, M Tayyar Kalcioglu, Muhammet Tekin
Affiliations

Bilateral lower cervical bifurcation of the common carotid artery

Lokman Uzun et al. Case Rep Otolaryngol. 2013.

Abstract

Lower cervical bifurcation of cervical common carotid artery (CCA) is a very rarely encountered anatomic variation. Knowing the normal vascular anatomy and also its anomalies is important in preventing the vascular complications. Ill-defined vascular anomalies may lead to massive hemorrhage and eventually death during head and neck surgery. Imaging of the neck by magnetic resonance Imaging (MRI), CT, or angiography is helpful for diagnosis. We present a 62-year-old male patient diagnosed with laryngeal carcinoma who had been treated. His MRI revealed bilateral low-level bifurcation of the cervical common carotid arteries as well as tumor localization and its boundaries. Total laryngectomy and right selective neck dissection was performed to the patient with the diagnosis of squamous cell carcinoma of the larynx. During the neck dissection, carotid bifurcation was detected in common border of Level 3 and Level 4 of the neck.

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Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
In MR-angiography, 3D ToF image of the patient shows bilateral lower bifurcation of common carotid arteries.
Figure 2
Figure 2
The image shows the lower bifurcation of the right common carotid artery (mD: posterior belly of digastric muscle, nH: hypoglossal nerve, AC: Ansa cervicalis, STA: superior thyroid artery, ECA: external carotid artery, CCA: common carotid artery, ICA: internal carotid artery, IJV: internal jugular vein, mSCM: Sternocleidomastoid muscle, T: tracheostoma, and *: dissection material of the neck spaces—during neck dissection).
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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