Variations observed during a 1999 dissection course--their sum and analysis.

ABSTRACT

A systematic study of anomalies in all body areas of 12 male and 12 female cadavers was attempted from data obtained during a 1999 dissection course. A total of 229 anomalies (132 in males, 97 in females) were observed, and they were comprised of 142 varieties. Classified by system, there were 71 (45 varieties) muscular, 118 (71) vascular, 29 (18) neural, 10 (7) visceral and 1 bone anomaly; by region, there were 50 in the head and trunk, 56 in the upper limbs, and 52 in the lower limbs. The other 71 anomalies were vascular ones confined to the viscera (61) and visceral (10). A maximum of 26 anomalies, including 10 muscular, 14 vascular and 2 neural anomalies, were ascertained to exist coincidentally in a single male. Among vascular anomalies, the visceral ones (61) were dominant. In all structures, 75% of the varieties of anomalies were single occurrences. In the text, the multiple occurrence of anomalies in an individual and their relationships are discussed.