Illustrated Encyclopedia of Human Anatomic Variation: Opus II: Cardiovascular System

Subclavian Artery.

Ronald A. Bergman, PhD
Adel K. Afifi, MD, MS
Ryosuke Miyauchi, MD
Peer Review Status: Internally Peer Reviewed

This study was based on 400 laboratory specimens.

A: The common vascular pattern encountered in 399 of the 400 bodies studied. On the right side, the common carotid [RCC] and subclavian [RS] arteries arise as branches of the innominate artery, while on the left [LCC, LS] they arise directly from the descending aortic arch.

B: An anomalous right subclavian artery arises from the descending thoracic aorta distal to the left subclavian artery.

C: In addition to the anomalous right subclavian artery, a bicarotid axis [occurs] from which both the right and the left common carotid arteries take origin.

D: An example of this same anomalous right subclavian artery arising from the descending aorta, but here associated with a left innominate artery.

E: A right aortic arch with the left subc1avian artery arising as the last branch from the arch, and crossing behind the esophagus en route to the left upper extremity. In their series, Daseler and Anson found no examples of the variations depicted in the lower three illustrations.

Redrawn from Daseler, E.H. and B.J. Anson. Surgical anatomy of the subclavian artery and its branches. Surg. Gynecol. Obstet. 108:149174, 1959.

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