Tortuous ulnar artery presenting as left distal forearm mass

Abstract

Knowledge of anatomic variation in vasculature is critical to safe medical intervention as conduits vary in morphology, architecture, and course. Tortuosity is a common anatomic variant in certain arterial beds; however, its prevalence in ulnar arteries is not well documented in the literature. Here we report two cases of tortuous ulnar arteries in patients being evaluated for upper extremity hemodialysis access.

Keywords

• Arterial tortuosity
• Variant ulnar artery
• Ulnar access
• Forearm mass
• Wrist mass