A unique variant of a right persistent hypoglossal artery arising from the common carotid artery with complex cardiovascular anomalies in a female neonatal patient

Authors

  • Paul A Miller
  • Kerby C. Oberg
  • Alex Sun
  • Adina Achiriloaie

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.3941/jrcr.v13i9.3601

Keywords:

Persistent Primitive Hypoglossal Artery, Carotid-Vertebrobasilar anastomosis, Rare Vascular Anatomical Variant, Cardiovascular Anomaly, Magnetic Radiographic Image, MRI, Magnetic Radiographic Angiogram, MRA, Computed Tomography Angiogram, CTA

Abstract

Persistent primitive hypoglossal artery is a carotid-vertebrobasilar anastomosis, which commonly arises from the internal carotid artery at the level of the C (cervical) 1-3 vertebrae. We describe a unique case of a female infant patient with this anomaly that has an unusually low origin from the distal common carotid artery just below the bifurcation at the level of roughly C5 and supplies the entire vertebrobasilar system. Additional cardiovascular anatomical variations were present: Tetralogy of Fallot and a right-sided aortic arch with mirror image branching. These singular variations are rare in the general population, but even rarer when combined. Awareness of these unusual vascular variants is clinically significant, as they may predispose the patients to early ischemic injury, hemorrhage, aneurysm formation, and can be essential in surgical planning. Therefore, radiographic imaging is of importance in proper diagnosis of such variants.

Author Biography

Paul A Miller

I am a fourth year medical student at Loma Linda school of medicine with an interest in pursuing diagnostic radiology as my field of study.

Published

2019-09-20

Issue

Section

Pediatric Radiology