Key result
Up to five glomic arteries supply human carotid bodies, challenging previous anatomical descriptions.
Why the study?
Accurate knowledge of glomic artery anatomy is essential for carotid body surgery and understanding the impact of carotid artery atherosclerosis on breathing and blood pressure regulation.
Observational (n=60)
This high-resolution anatomical study provides detailed 3D data on the blood supply of the human carotid body, offering a foundation for understanding the impact of carotid atherosclerosis and improving surgical approaches to carotid body tumors.
May inform carotid body tumor resection planning; leaves open in vivo validation of surgical relevance.
Glomic arteries (GAs) supply the carotid body (CB), a chemosensory organ at the carotid bifurcation. Accurate knowledge of GA anatomy is essential for CB surgery and understanding the impact of carotid artery atherosclerosis on breathing and blood pressure regulation. This study aims to provide comprehensive, statistically significant data on the number, origin, topology, length, and complexity of human GAs. Employing high-resolution episcopic microscopy (HREM), the Amira® software, and statistics, 120 CBs from 30 female and 30 male body donors were analyzed. CBs were located at the anterior (7.5%), posterior (66.7%), and above the central carotid bifurcation (25.8%). They were supplied by up to five GAs; 25% by a single, and 54% by two GAs. Sixty percent of GAs originated from the external carotid artery. In 85% of CBs receiving multiple GAs, at least one arose from this artery. The average tortuosity value of the GAs was 1.56, and their mean length was 2.36 mm, with male and left-sided GAs being significantly longer. This large-scale, systematic study provides high-resolution 3D data and challenges existing anatomic GA descriptions. It offers a solid foundation for studying carotid artery atherosclerosis's physiological and pathological implications, and advancing the treatment of CB tumors.
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Moghaddam et al. (2025) conducted an observational in Normal anatomy (n=60). Anatomical observation of glomic arteries was evaluated on Number and origin of glomic arteries. Human carotid bodies are supplied by up to five glomic arteries (54% by two), with 60.5% originating from the external carotid artery, challenging previous descriptions of a single artery.
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