A rare case of superficial median artery of high brachial origin: anatomical and clinical considerations of the superficial brachiomedian artery

Abstract

A rare case of median artery with unusually high origin and superficial course, also termed superficial brachiomedian artery, was observed during routine anatomical dissection of the right upper extremity of a 63-year-old Caucasian female cadaver. The aberrant artery arose from the initial part of the brachial artery. In the arm region it followed a superficial course and at the elbow passed beneath the bicipital aponeurosis. In the upper third of the forearm, the variant artery passed under the muscular belly of the palmaris longus and flexor digitorum superficialis muscle. Accompanying the median nerve, the unusual median artery passed through the carpal tunnel and participated in the formation of the superficial palmar arch. Due to its variant course and location, the superficial brachiomedian artery may cause compression on the nerve within the carpal tunnel or nerve ischemia may result from an accidental arterial injury.