Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41120786›Full record

ArticleSurgical and radiologic anatomy : SRA2025

Simultaneous retropharyngeal course of three carotid arteries coexisting with internal carotid coiling: a unique topographical variant.

Nektaria Karangeli, George Triantafyllou, Panagiotis Papadopoulos-Manolarakis, Alexandros Samolis, Maria Piagkou

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Article in Surgical and radiologic anatomy : SRA, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

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1 · What the graph read from it

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3 · Its place in the literature

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1 citing paper in PubMed.

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4 · The record

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5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

5 authors.

Nektaria KarangeliDepartment of Anatomy, School of Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, 75 Mikras Asias str., Goudi, 11527, Athens, Greece.
George TriantafyllouDepartment of Anatomy, School of Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, 75 Mikras Asias str., Goudi, 11527, Athens, Greece.
Panagiotis Papadopoulos-ManolarakisDepartment of Anatomy, School of Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, 75 Mikras Asias str., Goudi, 11527, Athens, Greece.
Alexandros SamolisDepartment of Anatomy, School of Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, 75 Mikras Asias str., Goudi, 11527, Athens, Greece.
Maria PiagkouDepartment of Anatomy, School of Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, 75 Mikras Asias str., Goudi, 11527, Athens, Greece. mapian@med.uoa.gr.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundVariations (topographical) in the course of the carotid arterial system are well-documented. Still, their clinical significance lies in their potential to alter cervical anatomy and increase the risk of iatrogenic injury. Retropharyngeal displacement most often involves the internal carotid artery (ICA), while involvement of the external carotid artery (ECA) or common carotid artery (CCA) is rarely reported. Simultaneous displacement of multiple carotid arteries (CAs) is extremely rare.

methodsWe describe a 40-year-old female patient in whom computed tomography angiography (CTA) revealed an unusual constellation of vascular variants.

resultsBoth ICAs and the ipsilateral ECA traveled through the retropharyngeal space. Bilateral carotid bifurcations were twisted. The right ICA showed a coiled shape at the level of the styloid process, and both CCAs were found in unusually close proximity to the superior cornu of the thyroid cartilage. No signs of atherosclerosis were seen, indicating a developmental rather than acquired variant.

conclusionThis case expands the range of known cervical vascular topographies by showing, for the first time, a tri-arterial retropharyngeal configuration with concurrent ICA coiling. While isolated or bilateral retropharyngeal displacements of the ICA, CCA, or superior thyroid artery have been documented, the presence of three major arteries in this compartment simultaneously seems unprecedented. Recognizing such extreme variants is essential for preventing severe hemorrhage and for guiding surgical and anesthetic planning in the anatomically restricted retropharyngeal region.

Indexed as

Anatomic VariationCarotid Artery, CommonCarotid Artery, ExternalCarotid Artery, InternalAdultComputed Tomography AngiographyFemaleHumansComputed tomography angiographyExternal carotid arteryHyoid boneInternal carotid arteryRetropharyngeal courseTopographical relationshipVariation

Identifiers

PMID41120786

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.