*Correspondence to: SD Jerald Grissom, Liberty University College of Osteopathic Medicine, Liberty University Lane, Lynchburg, Virginia, USA
Received: Jan 08, 2026; Accepted: Feb 09, 2026; Published: Feb 16, 2026
Citation: Baker A, Blanzy J, Byers H, Guilford A, Houseknecht A, et al. (2026) Aberrant Right Subclavian Artery: A Cadaveric Case Study with Anatomy Suggestive of Subclavian Steal Syndrome. J Anatomical Variation and Clinical Case Report 4:122.DOI: https://doi.org/10.61309/javccr.1000122
Copyright: ©2026 Baker A. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.
ABSTRACT
Aberrant right subclavian artery (ARSA) is a congenital variation in which the right subclavian artery arises from the aortic arch distal to the left subclavian artery instead of branching from the brachiocephalic trunk. This anomaly has the potential to deviate the normal course of the right recurrent laryngeal nerve (RRLN) during embryological development to cause a non-recurrent laryngeal nerve (NRLN). This case report presents the finding of an ARSA in a 94-year-old female cadaver during routine dissection for medical education. A proximal stenosis of the right subclavian artery was discovered, indicating the possibility of subclavian steal syndrome (SSS), and a NRLN was present. Although often asymptomatic, SSS reduces blood flow to the brain and can cause many neurological symptoms. If left unidentified, a NRLN can have significant surgical complications, and is particularly pertinent to thyroidectomy and cervical spine procedures. This case report emphasizes the importance of awareness of this rare neurovascular anatomical variation, knowledge of the associated embryology, and screening for neurovascular anomalies in preoperative patients.
Keywords: Anatomy; Anomaly; Cadaver; Subclavian; Vasculature
