Background: We recently began using preoperative chemotherapy delivered by superselective intraarterialinfusion via the superficial temporal artery as a treatment for oral cancer. However, catheterization is difficultin some patients because of the presence of a common trunk and angiectopia and hemadostenosis of theexternal carotid artery and tumor nutrient arteries. The purpose of this study was to conduct a clinicoanatomicalinvestigation of the external carotid artery and tumor nutrient arteries by digital subtraction angiography.
Method: We conducted an anatomical investigation of the external carotid artery and its branches in 58 patients (69 sites) by digital subtraction angiography.
Results: There were many variations in the branch patterns of the external carotid artery. In 53.6% of thepatients, branches arose in the order of the superior thyroid, lingual, facial, occipital, and maxillary arteries fromthe proximal side. In 24.6 % of the patients, the lingual artery formed a common trunk with the facial artery. In1.4%, the lingual artery formed a common trunk with the superior thyroid artery. The length of the faciolingualtrunk in 76.5% of the patients was long and anticancer agents flowed into both the lingual and the facial arteries.Severe hemadostenosis of the main trunk of the external carotid artery was observed in 7.2% of the patients.Severe angiectopia of the main trunk of the external carotid artery interferred with catheterization in 5.8 % of thepatients.
Conclusion: These results provide a clinicoanatomical basis for intraarterial infusion via the superficial temporalartery. The noteworthy points for catheterization were the presence and length of the common trunk of the tumornutrient arteries and the existence of angiectopia or hemadostenosis of the external carotid artery.