Virginia Via Research Day Book 2026

Medical Student Research Case Reports

38 PENTAFURCATION OF THE COMMON CAROTID ARTERY: A RARE ANATOMICAL VARIANT— CASE REPORT AND LITERATURE REVIEW

Alexander Orosz OMS-II; Brooke Morris OMS-II; Laurel Ness OMS-II; Campbell Buchanan OMS-II; Sanaa Khan OMS-II; Lily Beatty OMS-II; Tiffany Carpenetti, PhD Corresponding author: aorosz@vcom.edu

VCOM-Virginia, Blacksburg, Virginia

created by the additional branches. The left CCA displayed a normal bifurcation. The finding represented an incidental but true pentafurcation of the right CCA. Comments: A literature review was conducted using search terms including carotid artery variation, common carotid artery trifurcation, quadrifurcation, pentafurcation, external carotid artery branches, and anatomical variants. Searches were performed in PubMed, ScienceDirect, Anatomical Science International, Clinical Anatomy, and textbooks such as Gray’s Anatomy. Pentafurcation of the CCA is rarely reported, with Ogeng’o et al. documenting an incidence of only 1.4%. Most variations involve early branching of the STA, lingual, or facial arteries; however, independent origins of the STA, OA, and PAA, as in this case, are uncommon. Reports emphasize that such variants may increase operative risk during carotid

endarterectomy, radical neck dissection, embolization, and thyroid surgery. Aberrant branching may also contribute to altered hemodynamics and atherosclerosis, although no pathology was noted in this specimen. Diagnosis: Pentafurcation of the right common carotid artery—confirmed by direct anatomical visualization. Q27.8 – Other specified congenital malformations of peripheral vascular system IRB Statement IRB approval was not required. Cadaveric use followed institutional body donation protocols.

Context: Anatomical variations of the common carotid artery (CCA), including trifurcation and quadrifurcation, are uncommon, while pentafurcation is exceedingly rare. Knowledge of such variants is critical, as they may complicate surgical planning, vascular interventions, and radiologic interpretation. Report of Case: During routine anatomical dissection of an 83-year-old female cadaver with a history of hypertension and hyperlipidemia, an unusual branching pattern of the right CCA was identified. At the level of C3, the artery terminated as five independent branches: the internal carotid artery, external carotid artery, superior thyroid artery (STA), occipital artery (OA), and posterior auricular artery (PAA). No evidence of prior neck surgery, vascular pathology, or trauma was present. Surrounding cervical structures were anatomically normal aside from the carotid triangle

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76 Edward Via College of Osteopathic Medicine (VCOM)