Brachiocephalic trunk
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At the time the article was created Marlyson Olivier had no recorded disclosures.
View Marlyson Olivier's current disclosuresAt the time the article was last revised Henry Knipe had no recorded disclosures.
View Henry Knipe's current disclosures- Brachiocephalic artery
- Brachiocephalic trunk (BCT)
- Innominate artery
The brachiocephalic trunk (BCT) (also known as the brachiocephalic artery, and previously as the innominate artery) is the first branch of the aortic arch and supplies the head, neck and right arm.
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Terminology
Although sometimes described as such, the brachiocephalic trunk is not one of the great vessels.
Gross anatomy
The brachiocephalic trunk is the first and rightmost of the three main branches of the aortic arch. It measures 4-5 cm in length with a diameter of 12.1 ± 1.6 mm.
After arising in the midline, it courses upwards to the right, crossing the trachea and bifurcates posterior to the right sternoclavicular joint, into the right subclavian and right common carotid arteries. It has no other branches.
Variant anatomy
- the brachiocephalic trunk may share a common origin with the left common carotid artery, which is called a bovine arch
- aberrant brachiocephalic trunk (rare)
- thyroidea ima artery may be a branch (rare)
- absent brachiocephalic trunk due to separate origins of the right subclavian and right common carotid arteries from the aortic arch
- high-riding brachiocephalic artery
See also variant anatomy of the aortic arch for a more general discussion of such variants.
Development
The brachiocephalic artery originates from incorporation by the right fourth aortic arch and persistence of a proximal additional part of the right fourth innominate artery, leading to elongation of the artery 2.
Related pathology
References
- 1. Chummy S. Sinnatamby. Last's Anatomy. (2011) ISBN: 9780702033957 - Google Books
- 2. Gil-Carcedo E, Gil-Carcedo LM, Vallejo LA, Herrero D. High-riding innominate artery in neck surgery. (2012) Acta otorrinolaringologica espanola. 63 (5): 396-8. doi:10.1016/j.otorri.2011.03.006 - Pubmed
Incoming Links
- Subclavian artery
- Inferior thyroid vein
- Innominate artery compression syndrome
- Histology of blood vessels
- Brachiocephalic vein
- Common carotid artery
- Ascending aortic aneurysm
- Aortic arch branches (mnemonic)
- Thyroidea ima artery
- Stanford classification of aortic dissection
- Superior thoracic aperture
- High-riding brachiocephalic artery
- Esophageal lymph node stations
- Lymph node levels of the neck
- Aortic arch
- Bovine arch
- CT angiography of the cerebral arteries (protocol)
- Arterial supply of the upper limb
- Coarctation of the aorta
- Brachiocephalic trunk pseudoaneurysm
- Situs ambiguus - left isomerism
- Bovine arch and kissing carotid arteries
- Brachiocephalic artery pseudoaneurysm following right chest gunshot injury
- Aortic dissection with pulmonary artery intramural haematoma
- Brachiocephalic trunk stenosis
- Double outlet right ventricle
- Stanford type A aortic dissection
- Congenital pulmonary airway malformation
- Incomplete double aortic arch with Kommerell diverticulum
- Sternoclavicular joint dislocation
- Brachiocephalic trunk pseudoaneurysm
- Innominate artery compression syndrome
- Vertebral artery variant: external carotid artery origin
- Great vessels (Gray's illustration)
- Interrupted aortic arch (type A1)
- Bovine arch
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heart
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