The posterior circumflex humeral artery with variant origin and course

Abstract

The posterior circumflex humeral artery (PCHA) typically emanates from the axillary artery (AxA) that supplies the shoulder region and surrounding structure. During routine dissection, we noticed that a truncus profundocircumflexus arose as a branch of Brachial Artery distal to teres major (TM), which branches into profunda brachii, besides PCHA. This circumflex humeral artery, winding around the TM muscle, coursed superolaterally and reached the quadrangular space for its usual vascular territory. Adequate awareness of such rare variations observed in the present study is pertinent for physicians for quadrangular space syndrome, radiologists to avert misreading of angiographs, and orthopedics in case of trauma to the axilla, shoulder region, and upper arm or during invasive vascular procedures.