Overall Prevalence and Clinical Significance of a Retroesophageal Right Subclavian with a Non-Recurrent Right Laryngeal Nerve in an 83-year-old and a 93-year-old White Male Donor

Abstract

Head and neck anatomic variations are common and generally go undetected, but may be clinically significant or have important surgical consequences. Knowledge of various abnormalities is important for clinical decision making and the avoidance of iatrogenic complications. Anomalies of the aortic arch and its various branches are relatively common. However, rare variations with profound clinical sequelae can occur. During recent cadaveric dissection, we identified an 83-year-old and a 93-year-old White male donor who both had a right retroesophageal subclavian artery with an associated non-recurrent right laryngeal nerve. Lack of knowledge of this anatomic variation can directly result in severe consequences for patients and lead to major morbidity. Understanding this variation and recognizing it will be important for anatomists, radiologists and surgeons.