Rare variant of the brachial artery: Superficial lateral inferior type VIIEAB

This study concerns a variant of the brachial artery with a modified origin and course. The artery was studied in 418 upper limbs removed from cadaver s. In one upper limb the left brachial artery bifurcated into: (1) a superf icial brachial a. (the variant) crossing superficially to the bicipital apo neurosis in the cubital region and assuming the course, position, and suppl y area of the radial artery, and (2) the deep brachial a. (another variant) . An embryologic interpretation of this anomaly is based on a variant vascu lar development derived from the eighth intersegmental artery. The variant is termed according to Adachi's classification schedule as arteria brachial is superficialis lateralis inferior Type VII with the addition EAE (epiapon eurosis bicipitalis, i.e., superficial to the bicipital aponeurosis). Accur ate information concerning unusual patterns of the arteries in the upper li mbs is clinically relevant, especially in the avoidance of accidental intra -arterial injection with reflectory vascular occlusion leading to necrosis. Clin. Anat. 13,216-222, 2000. (C) 2000 Wiley-Liss, Inc.