Rare high branching pattern from the first part of the right axillary artery.

A 77-year-old female cadaver was observed to have a rare branching pattern of the right axillary artery (AA). The first part of the AA typically gives off only a superior thoracic artery (STA) but was observed to give off three branches in the case: a lateral thoracic artery (LTA), a thoracoacromial trunk, and a large common trunk (CT). The LTA travelled to provide a variant STA to the 1st and 2nd intercostal spaces. The CT provided an accessory LTA and accessory thoracodorsal artery before bifurcating into a subscapular artery (SA) and posterior humeral circumflex artery. As expected, the SA further divided into the circumflex scapular artery and thoracodorsal artery. A pectoral artery and the anterior humeral circumflex artery originated directly from the second and third parts of the AA, respectively. Knowledge of AA branching variations is of great clinical significance to anatomists, radiologists, and surgeons due to the high rate of injury to this artery.

Responses of the in vitro turtle brain to visual and auditory stimuli during severe hypoxia.

North American pond turtles (Emydidae) are renowned for their ability to survive extreme hypoxia and anoxia, which enables several species to overwinter in ice-locked, anoxic freshwater ponds and bogs for months. Centrally important for surviving these conditions is a profound metabolic suppression, which enables ATP demands to be met entirely with glycolysis. To better understand whether anoxia limits special sensory functions, we recorded evoked potentials in a reduced brain preparation, in vitro, that was perfused with severely hypoxic artificial cerebral spinal fluid (aCSF). For recordings of visual responses, an LED was flashed onto retinal eyecups while evoked potentials were recorded from the retina or the optic tectum. For recordings of auditory responses, a piezomotor-controlled glass actuator displaced the tympanic membrane while evoked potentials were recorded from the cochlear nuclei. We found that visual responses decreased when perfused with hypoxic perfusate (aCSF PO2<4.0 kPa). In contrast, the evoked response within the cochlear nuclei was unattenuated. These data provide further support that pond turtles have a limited ability to sense visual information in their environment even while moderately hypoxic, but that auditory input may become a principal avenue of sensory perception during extreme diving in this species such as occurs during anoxic submergence.

A Unique Case of Incomplete Bifid Ureter and Associated Arterial Variations.

Introduction. Urogenital and vascular anomalies, including a left duplex kidney and a left aberrant renal artery that gave rise to the left ovarian artery, were observed in a 77-year-old female cadaver during a routine dissection. Description. A left aberrant renal artery, which gave rise to the left ovarian artery, was observed originating from the aorta 4 cm below the left renal artery. Two independent contributions to a bifid ureter were found originating from the hilum of the left kidney. These two contributions descended 12.4 cm and 10.6 cm, respectively, posterior to the left aberrant renal artery and lateral to the left ovarian artery before uniting anterior to the psoas major muscle to descend 12.7 cm to the bladder. Significance. While the duplex kidney is a relatively common congenital anomaly that can be asymptomatic, it can also potentially be associated with compression of renal vasculature or the ureter. Ureteral compression can then result in several pathologies including reflux, urinary tract infection (UTI), ureteropelvic junction obstruction, or hydronephrosis. Compression of renal and ovarian vasculature can result in altered blood flow to the kidney and ovary, potentially causing fibrosis, atrophy, or organ failure. Current imaging techniques alone are insufficient for correct diagnostics of such complications, and they must be supplemented with a thorough understanding of the respective anatomical variations.