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Trifurcated external carotid artery and complete gamma-loop of its maxillary branch

  • Anatomic Variations
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Abstract

The external carotid artery (ECA) normally bifurcates terminally with the superficial temporal artery (STA) and the maxillary artery (MA). From the horizontally coursing, mandibular segment of the MA leaves the middle meningeal artery (MMA). We hereby report a previously unknown anatomic possibility, incidentally found during an angio-CT scan in an adult female patient. Unilaterally, the ECA was terminally trifurcated, sending off the MA, STA, and MMA. On that side, the mandibular segment of the MA had a gamma-loop and the contralateral one had a U-loop; both these loops were inferior to the lateral pterygoid muscle, closely approaching the respective lingula of the mandible. These findings are relevant during surgery of the parotid gland and infratemporal fossa, approaches of the MMA, and inferior alveolar nerve blocks. The modified origin of the MMA could be explained by an altered development of the primitive stapedial artery.

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Abbreviations

ECA:

External carotid artery

HSA:

Hyostapedial artery

ICA:

Internal carotid artery

MA:

Maxillary artery

MMA:

Middle meningeal artery

SA:

Stapedial artery

STA:

Superficial temporal artery

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Division of Anatomy, Faculty of Dental Medicine, “Carol Davila” University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 8 Eroilor Sanitari Blvd, 050474, Bucharest, Romania

    Mugurel Constantin Rusu & Nicoleta Măru

  2. Faculty of General Medicine, “Carol Davila” University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Bucharest, Romania

    Petrinel Mugurel Rădoi

  3. National Institute of Neurology and Neurovascular Diseases, Bucharest, Romania

    Petrinel Mugurel Rădoi

  4. Department II of Surgical Clinical Divisions, Faculty of Medicine, “Ovidius” University, Constanţa, Romania

    Dănuţ Dincă

Authors
  1. Mugurel Constantin Rusu
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  2. Nicoleta Măru
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  3. Petrinel Mugurel Rădoi
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  4. Dănuţ Dincă
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Contributions

MCR: protocol/project development, data analysis, documented specific literature, and approved the final version of manuscript. NM: data analysis, reviewed the manuscript, and contributed discussions. MPR: data collection and management, and manuscript writing. DD: data analysis, reviewed the manuscript, and contributed schema.

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Correspondence to Nicoleta Măru.

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The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

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Rusu, M.C., Măru, N., Rădoi, P.M. et al. Trifurcated external carotid artery and complete gamma-loop of its maxillary branch. Surg Radiol Anat 41, 231–234 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00276-018-2142-x

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00276-018-2142-x

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