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Review article
Submitted: 2023-02-07
Accepted: 2023-05-09
Published online: 2023-06-05
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Distance of the cervical part of the internal carotid artery from the selected anatomical structures in the parapharyngeal space and its relation to patient characteristics

Agnieszka Lis1, Hanna Zając2, Krzysztof Lachowski3, Tomasz Zatoński4, Anna Olchowy5, Paweł Dąbrowski6, Zygmunt Domagała6, Cyprian Olchowy7
Affiliations
  1. Radiology Department, Greater Poland Cancer Centre, Poznan, Poland
  2. Department of Ophthalmology, University Clinical Hospital in Wroclaw, Poland
  3. Centre of Orthopaedics and Trauma Surgery, University Hospital Brandenburg, Brandenburg University of Medicine Theodor Fontane, Brandenburg an der Havel, Germany
  4. Department of Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, Wroclaw Medical University, Wroclaw, Poland
  5. Department of Experimental Dentistry, Wroclaw Medical University, Wroclaw, Poland
  6. Division of Normal Anatomy, Department of Human Morphology and Embryology, Wroclaw Medical University, Wroclaw, Poland
  7. Department of Radiology, POLMED Diagnostyka, Legnica, Poland

open access

Ahead of Print
REVIEW ARTICLES
Submitted: 2023-02-07
Accepted: 2023-05-09
Published online: 2023-06-05

Abstract

Anomalies of the internal carotid artery (ICA) can increase the risk of haemorrhage during common surgical procedures. The aim of this literature review was to summarize the current state of knowledge on the course of the internal carotid artery in the parapharyngeal space, including the impact of the patient characteristics on the distances between the artery and other anatomical structures, as well as symptoms accompanying the aberrations. Pathologies related to the course of ICA in the parapharyngeal space are common (10%-60% in the general population and up to 84.4% in the elderly). In women, the distances in the oropharynx area are shorter than in men. Although the number of morphological studies is growing, providing more information on this topic, the identified studies differ in the methods and results. Knowledge on the variability in the course of ICA can help identify patients at high risk for the ICA trauma during pharyngeal procedures.

Abstract

Anomalies of the internal carotid artery (ICA) can increase the risk of haemorrhage during common surgical procedures. The aim of this literature review was to summarize the current state of knowledge on the course of the internal carotid artery in the parapharyngeal space, including the impact of the patient characteristics on the distances between the artery and other anatomical structures, as well as symptoms accompanying the aberrations. Pathologies related to the course of ICA in the parapharyngeal space are common (10%-60% in the general population and up to 84.4% in the elderly). In women, the distances in the oropharynx area are shorter than in men. Although the number of morphological studies is growing, providing more information on this topic, the identified studies differ in the methods and results. Knowledge on the variability in the course of ICA can help identify patients at high risk for the ICA trauma during pharyngeal procedures.

Get Citation

Keywords

internal carotid artery, tonsillectomy, haemorrhage, arterial aberrations, pharyngeal procedures, arterial anomalies, arterial trauma

About this article
Title

Distance of the cervical part of the internal carotid artery from the selected anatomical structures in the parapharyngeal space and its relation to patient characteristics

Journal

Folia Morphologica

Issue

Ahead of Print

Article type

Review article

Published online

2023-06-05

Page views

321

Article views/downloads

283

DOI

10.5603/FM.a2023.0042

Pubmed

37285085

Keywords

internal carotid artery
tonsillectomy
haemorrhage
arterial aberrations
pharyngeal procedures
arterial anomalies
arterial trauma

Authors

Agnieszka Lis
Hanna Zając
Krzysztof Lachowski
Tomasz Zatoński
Anna Olchowy
Paweł Dąbrowski
Zygmunt Domagała
Cyprian Olchowy

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