UNILATERAL VARIANT IN ORIGIN, POSITION AND COURSE OF PUBIC ARTERY ASSOCIATED WITH A VARIANT OBTURATOR ARTERY AND VEIN

Abstract

Address for Correspondence: Dr. Gabriel Jackob Mchonde, Department of Cell Biology and Neuroanatomy, School of Medicine, IwateMedical University, Iwate, Japan, Nishitokuda 2-1-1, Yahaba-cho, Shiwa-gun, 028-3694, Japan. E-Mail: gmchonde@yahoo.co.uk, mchonde@iwate-med.ac.jp *1 Lecturer, Cell Biology and Neuroanatomy, School of Medicine, Iwate Medical University, Iwate Prefecture, Japan. 2 Lecturer, Anatomy and Histology, School of Medicine, University of Dar es Salaam. 3 Surgeon, Senior Lecturer, Surgery and Maternal Health, School of Medicine, The University of Dodoma. 4 Professor of Anatomy, Biomedical Sciences, The University of Dodoma. Increased frequencies on variations in the origin, course and branching of retropubic vessels has brought an increased attention to anatomists, surgeons and radiologists. Pubic arterial supply normally originates from branches of; obturator artery before it leaves the pelvic cavity at the obturator foramen, and inferior epigastric artery. Branches from these two vessels usually anastomoses to supply the pubis. We observed a unique variation of pubic artery presenting unilaterally during a routine dissection in an 85-years-old male cadaver. A single unilateral variant left pubic artery was seen arising from a variant left obturator artery that originated from external iliac artery in a common trunk with inferior epigastric artery. On its way to the pubic region it gave a branch that provides arterial supply to the rectus sheath. To date this is a rare entity, thereby important to pelvic surgeons and radiologists undertaking routine procedures involving the retropubic space (space of Bogros).