Key result
Cadaveric dissection reveals rare left common carotid artery pentafurcation and right thyrolingual trunk.
Why the study?
Pentafurcation of the common carotid artery in the neck region is a rare anatomical variation, and knowledge of arterial variations is useful for head and neck surgeries, radiological evaluation, and interventions.
Case Report (n=1)
Answers are grounded in this paper and cite their sources.
Knowledge of rare common carotid artery branching variations, such as pentafurcation and thyrolingual trunks, is critical for preventing complications during head and neck surgeries, radiological evaluations, and vascular interventions.
Pentafurcation of the common carotid artery (CCA) in the neck region is a rare anatomical variation. During routine dissection of an adult female cadaver, we observed a rare variant of pentafurcation of the left CCA comprising lingual artery, facial artery, ascending pharyngeal artery, external carotid artery, and internal carotid artery. An additional finding was observed in the left superior thyroid artery, which was seen directly emerging from the left CCA. On the right side, the thyrolingual trunk was observed 1 cm above the carotid bifurcation. Knowledge of arterial variations will be extremely useful for head and neck surgeries, radiological evaluation, and interventions.
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Keerthy et al. (2026) conducted a case report in Pentafurcation of the common carotid artery (n=1). Routine dissection of 1 adult female cadaver revealed a left common carotid artery pentafurcation and a right thyrolingual trunk 1 cm above the bifurcation.
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