Thyrolingual trunk arising from the common carotid bifurcation

Jadhav SD,Ambali MP,Patil RJ, Roy PP
Correspondence: Dr Surekha D Jadhav ,drsurekha_32@yahoo.in  

ABSTRACT
Carotid arteries and their branches exhibit a wide range of variations. However, variations in the origin of the thyrolingual trunk from the common carotid artery are rare. We observed a case of thyrolingual trunk arising from the bifurcation point of the right common carotid artery during a routine dissection class for medical undergraduates. The thyrolingual trunk was running medially and downward before dividing into the upper lingual artery and the lower superior thyroid artery. No such variation was noted from the bifurcation point of the left common carotid artery. 

Keywords: common carotid artery, thyrolingual  trunk, variations
Singapore Med J 2011; 52(12): e265-e266