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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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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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