EXTERNAL CAROTID ARTERY

1. Variations in external carotid artery in a cadaver
BY : Dr Md Mahbubul Hoda
A.D.Patil 1*, S.B. Kankhare 2 Indian Journal of Basic and Applied Medical Research; March 2016: Vol.-5, Issue- 2, P. 606-610

2. MATERIALS & METHOD RESULTS
A study was undertaken on 33 donated cadavers
and through dissection was performed in neck
region and both sides of superior thyroid artery were
considered.
The results showed that superior thyroid artery arise
from external carotid artery in 66.67% cases, from
carotid bifurcation in 31.81% cases and from
common carotid artery in 1.51% cases.
While in 86.36 % cases level of the origin was above
the thyroid cartilage and in 13.64% cases level of the
origin was at the same level of thyroid cartilage.
The external laryngeal nerve crossed the superior
thyroid artery within 1cm above the upper pole of
the thyroid gland in 27.27% of cases and more than 1
cm in 72.73% of cases.
Abhijeet Joshi1, Sumit Gupta2, V H Vaniya Anatomical Variation in the origin of superior thyroid artery and its
relation with external laryngeal level National Journal of medical research print ISSN: 2249 4995, ISSN: 2277 8810

3. MATERIALS & METHOD RESULTS
The anatomic dissections of adult cadavers were
done and anatomic characteristics and variations
were studied in 40 common carotid arteries and
their branches.
A diagram of the arterial arrangements was made
after each dissection,and the distances between the
origin of each artery and the carotid bifurcation were
measured.
Carotid Bifurcation
In 20 cases (50%) the level of the bifurcation
corresponded to the superior border of the thyroid
cartilage.
At the level of the inferior border of the hyoid bone,
carotid bifurcation occurred in 10 cases (25%).
A higher level opposite the superior border of the
hyoid bone was found in 5 cases (12.5%).
Also, bifurcation appeared at the level of the inferior
border of the thyroid cartilage in 5 cases (12.5%).
Lucev-N, Babinac D, Maric I, Drescik I, Variations of the great arteries in the carotid triangle. Otolaryngol Head
and Neck Surgery 2000, 122, 590-591

4. MATERIALS & METHOD RESULTS
Relationship Between the External and Internal
Carotid Arteries
Within the carotid triangle the usual anteromedial
position of the external carotid artery to the internal
was present in only 12 cases (30%). In most cases the
external carotid artery lay anterior to the internal
artery (19 cases; 47.5%).
In 4 cases (10%) the external carotid artery lay
medial to the internal artery,and in another 4 cases
(10%) it lay in a lateral position. Only 1 case (2.5%) it
was situated anterolateral to the internal carotid
artery.
Lucev-N, Babinac D, Maric I, Drescik I, Variations of the great arteries in the carotid triangle. Otolaryngol Head
and Neck Surgery 2000, 122, 590-591

5. MATERIALS & METHOD RESULTS
Superior Thyroid Artery The superior thyroid artery
was always present and arose more often from the
common carotid artery than from the external
carotid artery (19 cases; 47.5%).
In 12 cases (30%) the origin of the superior thyroid
artery was from the external carotid artery.
Origin from the carotid bifurcation appeared in 9
cases (22.5%).
When it arose from the external carotid artery, the
distance of origin from the bifurcation ranged from 2
to 10.5 mm. The distance of origin from the common
carotid artery to the bifurcation also ranged from 2
to 10.7 mm.
Lucev-N, Babinac D, Maric I, Drescik I, Variations of the great arteries in the carotid triangle. Otolaryngol Head
and Neck Surgery 2000, 122, 590-591

6. MATERIALS & METHOD RESULTS
Lingual Artery The lingual artery arose from the
anteromedial aspect of the external carotid artery,
except in 1 case when it arose from the bifurcation
level. When it arose from the external carotid artery,
the distance of origin from the bifurcation ranged
from 5 to 40 mm.
Facial Artery The facial artery arose from the
anterolateral aspect of the external carotid artery in
the carotid triangle above the lingual artery.
The distance of origin from the carotid bifurcation
ranged from 8 to 50 mm.
Lucev-N, Babinac D, Maric I, Drescik I, Variations of the great arteries in the carotid triangle. Otolaryngol Head
and Neck Surgery 2000, 122, 590-591

7. MATERIALS & METHOD RESULTS
A case of abnormal origin of 2 arteries were
encountered during routine dissection of carotid
triangle of the neck where they encountered an
abnormal origin of an superior thyroid artery and
superior laryngeal nerve.
The superior thyroid artery that normally originates
from the external carotid was seen to originate from
the common carotid artery
The superior laryngeal artery was seen originating
from the external carotid instead of superior thyroid
artery.
Rao Mohandas K.G. and Rao Asutosh S Unusual Origin of the Arteries in the Carotid Triangle of the Neck: A Case
Report and Literature Review The Open Anatomy Journal, 2009, 1, 24-27

8. MATERIALS & METHOD RESULTS
A 22-year-old man presented with a 6-month history
of dysphagia to solid food and intermittent spitting
of blood for about 1 year. A selective external carotid
angiogram was performed .
At angiography, the superior thyroid arteries were
absent and the superior laryngeals originated
directly from the external carotids The gland itself
was supplied b separate branches from the lingual
arteries
The result showed that in this patient the thyroid
gland was arrested at the base of the tongue
receives its blood supply from the lingual arteries.
The superior thyroid arteries were absent and the
superior laryngeal arteries, which are normally
considered to be branches of the superior thyroids,
originated directly from the external carotids.
Banna M, Lasjaunias P. The arteries of the lingual thyroid: angiographic findings and anatomic variations. Am J
Neuro-radiol 1990, 11, 730-732.

9. REFRENCES
Lucev-N, Babinac D, Maric I, Drescik I, Variations of the great arteries in the carotid triangle.
Otolaryngol Head and Neck Surgery 2000, 122, 590-591
Rao Mohandas K.G. and Rao Asutosh S Unusual Origin of the Arteries in the Carotid Triangle
of the Neck: A Case Report and Literature Review The Open Anatomy Journal, 2009, 1, 24-
27
Banna M, Lasjaunias P. The arteries of the lingual thyroid: angiographic findings and
anatomic variations. Am J Neuro-radiol 1990, 11, 730-732.
Abhijeet Joshi1, Sumit Gupta2, V H Vaniya Anatomical Variation in the origin of superior
thyroid artery and its relation with external laryngeal level National Journal of medical
research print ISSN: 2249 4995, ISSN: 2277 8810 Volume ,Issue 2, Apr – June 2014 Page 138
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axis with regard to the implantation of microsurgical vascular anastomoses. Surg Radiol Anat
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10. REFRENCES
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Lucev-N, Babinac D, Maric I, Drescik I, Variations of the great arteries in the carotid triangle.
Otolaryngol Head and Neck Surgery 2000, 122, 590-591
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