Anatomical Variant: Ascending Pharyngeal Artery Arising from the Extracranial Internal Carotid Artery

Abstract

Ascending pharyngeal artery (APA) is a branch of the external carotid artery. Extracranial internal carotid artery (ICA) usually does not have any branches. We present here a rare case of anomalous origin of the APA from the extracranial ICA and discuss the clinical importance of this rare anatomical variant.

Keywords

• Anatomical variant
• anomalous branch
• ascending pharyngeal artery
• cervical segment
• internal carotid artery