PERSISTENT MEDIAN ARTERY ASSOCIATED WITH SUPERFICIAL RADIAL ARTERY AT THE WRIST-A CASE REPORT

Vascular variations are usually the result of developmental anomaly during the formation of blood vessels in any respective part of the body. In this case a rare unilateral variation was found on the left upper limb during routine dissection in the Department of Anatomy. Brachial artery divided into radial artery and a common trunk. The common trunk in turn divided into ulnar, median and common interosseous artery. The median artery was palmar type, had two proper palmar digital branches in the palm. The radial artery had normal course in the forearm till the junction between upper two third and lower one third where it turned dorsally and reached the anatomical snuff box and ran superficial to the abductor pollicis longus, extensor carpi radialis brevis and extensor carpi radialis longus along the cephalic vein medially and superficial branch of radial nerve laterally. The median artery, arose from the common trunk, had pierced the median nerve about 4cm from its origin then ran along the median nerve in the forearm thereby reached the palm where it gave off two common palmar digital branches but did not anastomose with the ulnar artery hence formed incomplete superficial palmar arch. But on the right side no such variations found. These vascular variations have been studied in detail and their clinical implications and embryological significance are emphasized.