{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,7,11]],"date-time":"2026-07-11T11:30:02Z","timestamp":1783769402735,"version":"3.55.0"},"reference-count":11,"publisher":"Springer Science and Business Media LLC","issue":"1","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2025,4,3]],"date-time":"2025-04-03T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1743638400000},"content-version":"tdm","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0"},{"start":{"date-parts":[[2025,4,3]],"date-time":"2025-04-03T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1743638400000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0"}],"content-domain":{"domain":["link.springer.com"],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Surg Radiol Anat"],"abstract":"<jats:title>Abstract<\/jats:title>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Purpose<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>The anatomical variables of the superior thyroid artery (STA) are well-studied. It typically leaves the external carotid artery (ECA) and descends on the inferior pharyngeal constrictor muscle to reach the thyroid lobe. We serendipitously found a novel possibility: the bilateral retropharyngeal course of the STA, which we report here.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Method<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>The case was found while studying the archived angioCT file of a 56-year-old male.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Results<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>The right carotid bifurcation (CB) was in the coronal plane at 3.3\u00a0mm inferior to the greater horn of the hyoid bone (GHHB). The initial segment of the ECA was medial to the GHHB. The origin of the right STA was at 2.7\u00a0cm medial to the GHHB greater hyoid horn from the anterior side of the ECA. The left CB was at 2.5\u00a0mm posterior to the left hyoid tubercle. It was oriented sagittally oblique, with the left ECA antero-medially to the left ICA. The left STA arose from the medial side of the ECA at 5.6\u00a0mm postero-superior to the hyoid tubercle. Each STA descended medially to the GHHB and, further, the superior horn of the thyroid cartilage on that side. At the root of the superior horn of the thyroid cartilage, each STA turned laterally between the common carotid artery and the posterior margin of the lamina of the thyroid cartilage and continued to the thyroid lobe on that side. Thus, both STAs coursed posteriorly to the pyriform recess of the hypopharynx on that side.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Conclusion<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>Finding bilateral STAs is extraordinary but possible. Such extremely rare variants can be accurately identified during preoperative angioCT scans.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>","DOI":"10.1007\/s00276-025-03627-7","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2025,4,5]],"date-time":"2025-04-05T04:55:21Z","timestamp":1743828921000},"update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1007\/springer_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":5,"title":["Retropharyngeal course of the superior thyroid artery \u2013 a novel finding"],"prefix":"10.1007","volume":"47","author":[{"given":"Rodica Narcisa","family":"Calot\u0103","sequence":"first","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Mugurel Constantin","family":"Rusu","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"C\u0103t\u0103lin Constantin","family":"Dumitru","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Liliana","family":"Moraru","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"R\u0103zvan Costin","family":"Tudose","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"297","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2025,4,3]]},"reference":[{"key":"3627_CR1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"650","DOI":"10.1007\/s00276-006-0145-5","volume":"28","author":"NR Aggarwal","year":"2006","unstructured":"Aggarwal NR, Krishnamoorthy T, Devasia B, Menon G, Chandrasekhar K (2006) Variant origin of superior thyroid artery, occipital artery and ascending pharyngeal artery from a common trunk from the cervical segment of internal carotid artery. Surg Radiol Anat 28:650\u2013653. https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1007\/s00276-006-0145-5","journal-title":"Surg Radiol Anat"},{"key":"3627_CR2","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Bergman R, Tubbs RS, Shoja MM, Loukas M (2016) Bergman\u2019s comprehensive encyclopedia of human anatomic variation. Wiley","DOI":"10.1002\/9781118430309"},{"key":"3627_CR3","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"232","DOI":"10.12865\/CHSJ.50.02.08","volume":"50","author":"RN Calota","year":"2024","unstructured":"Calota RN, Rusu MC, Vrapciu AD (2024) The external carotid artery and the styloid process. Curr Health Sci J 50:232\u2013236. https:\/\/doi.org\/10.12865\/CHSJ.50.02.08","journal-title":"Curr Health Sci J"},{"key":"3627_CR4","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"e0197075","DOI":"10.1371\/journal.pone.0197075","volume":"13","author":"MA Dessie","year":"2018","unstructured":"Dessie MA (2018) Variations of the origin of superior thyroid artery and its relationship with the external branch of superior laryngeal nerve. PLoS ONE 13:e0197075. https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1371\/journal.pone.0197075","journal-title":"PLoS ONE"},{"key":"3627_CR5","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","unstructured":"Dumitru CC, Vrapciu AD, Rusu MC (2024) The diversity of the linguofacial trunk. Medicina (Kaunas) 60. https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/medicina60020291","DOI":"10.3390\/medicina60020291"},{"key":"3627_CR6","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"884","DOI":"10.1177\/15385744241276644","volume":"58","author":"A Ettleson","year":"2024","unstructured":"Ettleson A, Robbins J, Ascher E, Hingorani A (2024) Transcarotid artery revascularization for symptomatic retropharyngeal internal carotid artery stenosis. Vasc Endovasc Surg 58:884\u2013887. https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1177\/15385744241276644","journal-title":"Vasc Endovasc Surg"},{"key":"3627_CR7","first-page":"97","volume":"50","author":"AM Jianu","year":"2009","unstructured":"Jianu AM, Motoc A, Mihai AL, Rusu MC (2009) An anatomical study of the thyroid arteries anastomoses. Rom J Morphol Embryol 50:97\u2013101","journal-title":"Rom J Morphol Embryol"},{"key":"3627_CR8","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"336","DOI":"10.3174\/ajnr.A4533","volume":"37","author":"DE Lukins","year":"2016","unstructured":"Lukins DE, Pilati S, Escott EJ (2016) The moving carotid artery: A retrospective review of the retropharyngeal carotid artery and the incidence of positional changes on serial studies. AJNR Am J Neuroradiol 37:336\u2013341. https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3174\/ajnr.A4533","journal-title":"AJNR Am J Neuroradiol"},{"key":"3627_CR9","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"ytab390","DOI":"10.1093\/ehjcr\/ytab390","volume":"5","author":"AA Sorour","year":"2021","unstructured":"Sorour AA, Kirksey L (2021) Bilateral retropharyngeal internal carotid artery \u2018kissing carotids\u2019. Eur Heart J Case Rep 5:ytab390. https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1093\/ehjcr\/ytab390","journal-title":"Eur Heart J Case Rep"},{"key":"3627_CR10","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"37","DOI":"10.61797\/ijcsav.v5i1.307","volume":"5","author":"T Tour\u00e9","year":"2024","unstructured":"Tour\u00e9 T, Ba B, Kant\u00e9 A, Gadji GD, Kon\u00e9 FI, Simpara G, Kant\u00e9 S, Ongo\u00efba N (2024) Superior thyroid artery originating from the ascending pharyngeal artery. Int J Cadaver Stud Anat Var 5:37\u201342","journal-title":"Int J Cadaver Stud Anat Var"},{"key":"3627_CR11","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"1549","DOI":"10.1007\/s00276-024-03438-2","volume":"46","author":"G Triantafyllou","year":"2024","unstructured":"Triantafyllou G, Paschopoulos I, Duparc F, Tsakotos G, Tsiouris C, Olewnik L, Georgiev G, Zielinska N, Piagkou M (2024) The superior thyroid artery origin pattern: a systematic review with meta-analysis. Surg Radiol Anat 46:1549\u20131560. https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1007\/s00276-024-03438-2","journal-title":"Surg Radiol Anat"}],"container-title":["Surgical and Radiologic Anatomy"],"original-title":[],"language":"en","link":[{"URL":"https:\/\/link.springer.com\/content\/pdf\/10.1007\/s00276-025-03627-7.pdf","content-type":"application\/pdf","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"text-mining"},{"URL":"https:\/\/link.springer.com\/article\/10.1007\/s00276-025-03627-7\/fulltext.html","content-type":"text\/html","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"text-mining"},{"URL":"https:\/\/link.springer.com\/content\/pdf\/10.1007\/s00276-025-03627-7.pdf","content-type":"application\/pdf","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"similarity-checking"}],"deposited":{"date-parts":[[2025,12,10]],"date-time":"2025-12-10T13:41:49Z","timestamp":1765374109000},"score":1,"resource":{"primary":{"URL":"https:\/\/link.springer.com\/10.1007\/s00276-025-03627-7"}},"subtitle":[],"short-title":[],"issued":{"date-parts":[[2025,4,3]]},"references-count":11,"journal-issue":{"issue":"1","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2025,12]]}},"alternative-id":["3627"],"URL":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1007\/s00276-025-03627-7","relation":{},"ISSN":["1279-8517"],"issn-type":[{"value":"1279-8517","type":"electronic"}],"subject":[],"published":{"date-parts":[[2025,4,3]]},"assertion":[{"value":"14 March 2025","order":1,"name":"received","label":"Received","group":{"name":"ArticleHistory","label":"Article History"}},{"value":"19 March 2025","order":2,"name":"accepted","label":"Accepted","group":{"name":"ArticleHistory","label":"Article History"}},{"value":"3 April 2025","order":3,"name":"first_online","label":"First Online","group":{"name":"ArticleHistory","label":"Article History"}},{"order":1,"name":"Ethics","group":{"name":"EthicsHeading","label":"Declarations"}},{"value":"The research was conducted ethically following the Code of Ethics of the World Medical Association (Declaration of Helsinki). The responsible authorities (affiliation 2) approved the study (approval no. 437\/2021).","order":2,"name":"Ethics","group":{"name":"EthicsHeading","label":"Ethical approval"}},{"value":"The authors declare no competing interests.","order":3,"name":"Ethics","group":{"name":"EthicsHeading","label":"Competing interests"}}],"article-number":"115"}}