Incidence and Morphologic Characteristics of Aberrant Subclavian Arteries: A Retrospective Cross-Sectional Study

Aim: The aim of this study to determine the incidence of aberrant right subclavian artery (ARSA) and aberrant left subclavian artery (ALSA), their diameter, angle at their point of origin, distance between them.The cases included in the study were also examined for atrial septal defect (ASD), aneurysm, Kommerell's diverticulum, dysphagia, dyspnea, atherosclerotic heart disease, and hypertension. Material and Method: This study is a retrospective cross-sectional study conducted at Inonu University Faculty of Medicine Turgut Özal Medical Center. Within the scope of the study, The images of 2365 patients who applied to the Department of Radiology for contrast-enhanced thoracic CT arterial phase imaging were examined. As a result of the review, 52 cases (20 men and 32 women) with ARSA and ALSA were identified and included in the study. Results: Among the examined images, ARSA was detected in 46 (1.9%) patients, while ALSA was detected in 6 (0.2%) patients. In ARSA cases, ASD and aneurysm were each found in 3 cases. Kommerell's diverticulum was not found in ARSA cases. In ALSA cases, aneurysm was found in 1 case, while Kommerell's diverticulum was found in 5 patients (83.3%). No evidence of ASD was found in ALSA cases. At the origin points, the average diameter of ARSA was 11.7 mm and ALSA was 12.55 mm, with average angles were 76.39° and 60.27°, respectively. The average distance between the right subclavian artery and the left subclavian artery in ARSA cases was 7.27 mm. In ALSA cases, the average distance between the left subclavian artery and the truncus brachiocephalicus was 10.9 mm. Conclusion: The incidence of ARSA and ALSA in the studied population was 1.9% and 0.2%, respectively. The detailed anatomical characteristics provided in this study can aid in the planning and execution of vascular surgeries involving subclavian arteries.