Anomalous origin of superior laryngeal artery from external carotid artery - A case report

During routine dissection in Anatomy Department, KMC Manipal, anomalous origin of superior laryngeal artery arising from external carotid artery was observed on the right side in an adult male cadaver. Superior laryngeal artery normally is a branch of superior thyroid artery. It supplies laryngeal muscles, mucosa and glands. The origin of lingual and facial arteries from external carotid artery was normal. The courses of nerves in the carotid triangle are also normal. No variations were observed in the left carotid arterial system. Variations in the origin of the superior laryngeal artery are very rare. It may arise from lingual, facial, ascending pharyngeal, external carotid artery or even from the common carotid artery. There are reports of rare variation of the common trunk of origin of superior laryngeal and inferior thyroid artery from the external carotid artery at the same level as origin of common linguofacial trunk. Though embryogenesis of this variation is not clear, but may be important for reconstruction surgery of the larynx, laryngeal transplantation and it will also be useful to the surgeons in minimizing the post-operative complications in a bloodless surgery. Clinicians must be aware of these variations in the super selective intra arterial chemotherapy for laryngeal and hypo laryngeal cancers.