Frequency of variations in aortic arch anatomy depicted on multidetector CT

Aim: To investigate the prevalence and imaging appearances of anatomical variations of the common aortic arch, as depicted on multidetector computed tomography (CT).

Methods and materials: A retrospective study of 861 CT chest and thoracic aorta examinations in consecutive patients who underwent CT imaging over a 4 year period was undertaken.

Results: The branching of the aortic arch had a conventional configuration in 643 (74%) patients. The most frequent anatomical variant was a common origin to the brachiocephalic and left common carotid artery (bovine arch), which occurred in 20% of participants.

Conclusion: To the authors' knowledge this is the largest study of aortic arch variant anatomy in a living patient population. With the ever increasing complex endovascular interventions in the aorta and head and neck regions, recognition and appreciation of these entities is of importance to the interventional and diagnostic radiologist alike.