Aortic arch anomalies classifications

Associate Editor-In-Chief: Keri Shafer, M.D. [mailto:kshafer@bidmc.harvard.edu] Priyamvada Singh, MBBS mailto:psingh@perfuse.org

Assistant Editor-In-Chief: Kristin Feeney, B.S. mailto:kfeeney@perfuse.org

Classifications
There are three common classifications to the branching pattern:


 * 1) Normal (as below) - seen in ~ 70% of patients.
 * 2) Bovine arch - common origin of brachiocephalic and left common carotid artery - seen in approximately 15% of patients (more common in blacks)
 * 3) Left common carotid has its origin from the brachiocephalic artery proper, rather than from a common trunk - - seen in approximately 10% of patients (also more common in blacks)

There may be additional branches that arise directly from the arch. These include:
 * Thyroidea ima artery, usually between the brachiocephalic and left common carotid
 * Left vertebral artery, usually between the left common carotid and the left subclavian arteries.
 * Rarely the right subclavian and right common carotid arise independently.

Other major classifications: