Brachiocephalic trunk anomalies and variations

Abstract

Knowledge of anatomical anomalies and variations on the brachiocephalic trunk (BCT) are important in medical practice, mainly for the interpretation of diagnostic images, in surgical procedures of thorax and neck, and may also be of high risk for life. We studied 50 fetuses, of both genders, between 12 and 21 weeks of gestation and described the variations we found according they happened at the origin, the position or the branching of the brachiocephalic trunk.