Kabila Badr, Boumeriem Khaoula, Mesbah Oumaima, Kettani Najwa Ech-Cherif El, Fikri Meriem, Jiddane Mohamed, Firdaous Touarsa
Neuroradiology Department, Specialty Hospital of Rabat, Rabat, Morocco.
Radiol Case Rep. 2025 Mar 15;20(6):2657-2661. doi: 10.1016/j.radcr.2025.02.046. eCollection 2025 Jun.
The persistence of the hypoglossal artery is a rare embryonic vascular variant in which a transient connection between the carotid and vertebrobasilar systems fails to regress. Typically asymptomatic and incidentally discovered on imaging, this condition can alter cerebral blood flow and increase the risk of vascular complications such as aneurysms, strokes, and arteriovenous malformations. We present the case of a 70-year-old female with no prior medical history who was admitted to the emergency department with right-sided hemiparesis. A cerebral CT angiography, performed to evaluate for acute ischemic stroke and potential thrombolysis, revealed a persistent hypoglossal artery arising from the internal carotid artery at the C1-C2 level and connecting to the basilar artery through the hypoglossal canal. This case highlights the importance of recognizing this rare anatomical variant on imaging to prevent misinterpretation and avoid complications during surgical or endovascular interventions at the skull base.
舌下动脉持续存在是一种罕见的胚胎血管变异，即颈动脉和椎基底动脉系统之间的短暂连接未能退化。这种情况通常无症状，在影像学检查时偶然发现，可改变脑血流并增加血管并发症的风险，如动脉瘤、中风和动静脉畸形。我们报告一例70岁女性，既往无病史，因右侧偏瘫入住急诊科。为评估急性缺血性中风及潜在溶栓情况而进行的脑部CT血管造影显示，舌下动脉持续存在，起自C1 - C2水平的颈内动脉，通过舌下神经管与基底动脉相连。该病例强调了在影像学上识别这种罕见解剖变异的重要性，以防止误诊并避免在颅底进行手术或血管内介入时出现并发症。
