Prevalence and Patterns of Vascular Anatomical Variations: A Retrospective Anatomical Audit

Background: Vascular anatomy variations are normal deviations of classical arterial branching patterns and can have a significant impact on surgical, interventional, and radiological surgery. Modern methods of imaging allow the accurate detection of these variants, but the prevalence and morphological pattern are variable based on population. The aim is to define the prevalence and morphology of the vascular anatomy variations by conducting a retrospective radiological audit as well as to examine their correlation with demographic factors. Material and Methods: 250 contrasting CT and MR angiographic studies against adults (>18 years) were involved in this retrospective observational study. The vascular pattern of major arteries was assessed, and these were upper limb arteries, aortic arch, and its branches, abdominal aorta and major branches, renal arteries, and selected cerebral vessels. The differences were classified according to origin, pattern of branching and structure. The Chi-square test was used to perform a comparison of descriptive statistics, associations with age, and sex (p < 0.05 was significant). Results: Vascular anatomical anomalies were found in 162/250 cases (64.8%). The highest proportion of variations was registered in the upper limb arterial system (29.6%), abdominal aortic branches (23.5%), aortic arch branches (19.8%), renal arteries (17.9%), and cerebral arteries (9.3%). The most common morphological pattern was an aberrant origin (33.3%) and accessory vessels (25.3%). Despite a higher occurrence among males and middle-aged individuals, vascular variations showed no statistically significant relationship with demographic factors (p > 0.05). Furthermore, single variations were more prevalent than the presence of multiple simultaneous anomalies. Conclusion: Vascular anatomical variability is frequent and mostly relates to the abdominal and upper limb arteries. It is important to identify these patterns during the complex imaging procedure before the start of operations in order to reduce the risk during surgeries and maximize the clinical outcome. An anatomical audit that is undertaken retrospectively gives useful epidemiological information that enhances surgical plan and interventional safety measures.

Keywords: Vascular anatomical variations, arterial branching patterns, aberrant origin, accessory vessels, computed tomography angiography.