Anomalous Emergence of the Left Vertebral Artery from the Aortic arch and its Morphometric Characterization

The aortic arch typically gives rise to three main branches: the brachiocephalic trunk, which is the first and largest branch and divides into the right common carotid and right subclavian arteries; the left common carotid artery as the second branch; and the left subclavian artery as the third. However, anatomical variations in this branching pattern are relatively common and carry clinical significance. Among these, the direct origin of the left vertebral artery from the aortic arch—usually located between the left common carotid and left subclavian arteries—stands out as a noteworthy variation. The present case report describes such an anatomical variation, identified during the dissection of a specimen in the Human Anatomy Laboratory at the School of Health Sciences (ESA), State University of Amazonas (UEA).