TY - JOUR
T1 - Internal thoracic artery encircled by an unusual phrenic nerve loop
AU - Chen, Fu-Chean
AU - Tsai, Yung Yu
AU - Jeng, Hellen
PY - 2007/12
Y1 - 2007/12
N2 - We report an anatomic variation of the phrenic nerve. During a routine gross anatomical dissection course at our medical university, we found an unusual loop of the left phrenic nerve around the internal thoracic artery, about 1 cm from the take-off of the left subclavian artery. The phrenic nerve is close to the internal thoracic artery and is easily injured when dissecting the internal thoracic artery for coronary artery bypass conduit. Therefore, we suggest that the anatomic relationship of the phrenic nerve and internal thoracic artery is important in preventing incidental injury of the phrenic nerve.
AB - We report an anatomic variation of the phrenic nerve. During a routine gross anatomical dissection course at our medical university, we found an unusual loop of the left phrenic nerve around the internal thoracic artery, about 1 cm from the take-off of the left subclavian artery. The phrenic nerve is close to the internal thoracic artery and is easily injured when dissecting the internal thoracic artery for coronary artery bypass conduit. Therefore, we suggest that the anatomic relationship of the phrenic nerve and internal thoracic artery is important in preventing incidental injury of the phrenic nerve.
KW - Coronary artery bypass graft
KW - Internal thoracic artery
KW - Phrenic nerve
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U2 - 10.1016/S0929-6646(08)60086-8
DO - 10.1016/S0929-6646(08)60086-8
M3 - Letter
C2 - 18194916
AN - SCOPUS:38049101136
SN - 0929-6646
VL - 106
SP - 1069
EP - 1070
JO - Journal of the Formosan Medical Association
JF - Journal of the Formosan Medical Association
IS - 12
ER -