MORPHOLOGICAL CHARACTERISTICS OF THE THORACIC AORTA AND ANATOMICAL VARIATIONS OF THE AORTIC ARCH ON MULTI-DETECTOR COMPUTED TOMOGRAPHY
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Abstract
Background: Anatomical variants of the aortic arch are relatively common in clinical practice and have important implications for diagnostic evaluation, surgical planning, and endovascular interventions. Accurate identification of these variants helps prevent diagnostic errors and reduces the risk of procedural complications. Objectives: To describe the origin, branching pattern, and anatomical variants of the aortic arch region on contrast-enhanced chest computed tomography. Materials and methods: A cross-sectional descriptive study was conducted on 700 patients treated at Can Tho Central General Hospital from July 2024 to January 2026. Results:The mean age was 63.83 ± 14.75, with 52.4% male participants. The normal three-vessel aortic arch configuration accounted for 82,1% of cases. The bovine arch variant, which has two subtypes, was the most common variant, representing approximately 11.2%. Variants in which the left vertebral artery originated directly from the aortic arch and aberrant origin of the right subclavian artery were observed in 4.6% and 0.7% of cases, respectively. Additionally, several rare variants were identified, including bronchial artery originating from the aortic arch, right-sided aortic arch, and combinations of multiple variants, each accounting for less than 1%. No statistically significant differences were found among the variants with respect to age or sex (p > 0.05). Conclusion: Anatomical variants of the aortic arch are encountered with a considerable frequency on CTA. Comprehensive recognition of these variants plays and important role in diagnostic imaging practice and supports safe interventional planning.
Keywords
Aortic arch, anatomical variants, computed tomography
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