Manju Sudhakaran1, Mini Alikunju2, Vandana Latha Raveendran3, Umesan Kannanvilakom Govindapillai4
BACKGROUND
External carotid arteries account for a major share of arterial supply of head and
neck regions. As variations are frequently observed in the branching pattern of
external carotid artery, surgeons, radiologists and anaesthetists often encounter
difficulties in various procedures of head and neck. The purpose of this study is to
describe the variations in the branching pattern of external carotid artery as
observed in South Indian population which definitely reduces its iatrogenic injuries
associated with surgical and radiological procedures of head and neck.
METHODS
This is cross-sectional descriptive study. Bilateral neck dissection was done on
twenty-two formalin fixed cadavers to study the branching pattern of external
carotid artery during a period of two years in the Department of Anatomy in
Government Medical College, Alappuzha. Common carotid, external carotid and
internal carotid arteries were dissected. All the branches of external carotid artery
were traced and the variations were noted. The distance between carotid
bifurcation and point of origin of individual branches of external carotid were
measured and statistically analyzed.
RESULTS
In the present study along with normal branching pattern of external carotid
artery, variations like origin of superior thyroid artery from common carotid artery
and also from carotid bifurcation were seen. A common linguofacial trunk and
direct origin of superior laryngeal artery from external carotid artery were also
observed.
CONCLUSIONS
Prior knowledge of the variations will be helpful to surgeons and anaesthetists
while dealing with these vessels during procedures of head and neck regions.
