Abnormal Superficial Radial Artery and Related Vessels

The brachial artery is a continuation of the axillary artery. It terminates at the level of the neck of the radius by dividing into the radial and ulnar arteries. The radial artery courses deep to brachioradialis muscle and it becomes superficial in the lower part of forearm. Twenty six matched upper limbs were dissected in the Department of anatomy. In one of the upper limbs, the radial artery aberrantly arose from the 3 rd part of the axillary artery. It coursed superficially through the arm and forearm. In the arm, it ran medial to the axillary artery and median nerve and anterior to the ulnar nerve. At the level of the elbow, it crossed to the lateral side superficial to the flexor muscles of the forearm. Throughout its course it gave no branches. The brachial artery aberrantly gave the radial recurrent artery 3.5 cm above the elbow and also terminated anomalously at the neck of the radius by dividing into the common interosseous and ulnar arteries. The simultaneous occurrence of all these variations has not been described previously as far as known to the author. Cause of such variation may be developmental and genetic. Superficial radial artery may be mistaken for veins and intended intravenous injection may lead to intrarterial injection. Further such variation may cause misinterpretation of radiographs. Therefore knowledge of such variation of superficial radial artery will be useful for vascular surgeons, radiologists and anatomists.