Brachiocephalic trunk

Common

carotid artery • Aortic arch normal anatomy (illustration) - Ganzer Fall bei Radiopaedia

Gaillard, F. Aortic arch normal anatomy (illustration). Case study, Radiopaedia.org. (accessed on 21 Oct 2022) https://doi.org/10.53347/rID-35949 • CC by-nc-sa 3.0 (modified)

Brachiocephalic

trunk • CT chest arterial phase sagittal - labeling questions - Ganzer Fall bei Radiopaedia

Hacking C, CT chest arterial phase sagittal - labeling questions. Case study, Radiopaedia.org (Accessed on 13 Dec 2023) https://doi.org/10.53347/rID-62535 • CC by-nc-sa 3.0 (modified)

Brachiocephalic

trunk • CT chest arterial phase coronal - labeling questions - Ganzer Fall bei Radiopaedia

Hacking C, CT chest arterial phase coronal - labeling questions. Case study, Radiopaedia.org (Accessed on 13 Dec 2023) https://doi.org/10.53347/rID-62536 • CC by-nc-sa 3.0 (modified)

Common

carotid artery • Great vessels (Gray's illustration) - Ganzer Fall bei Radiopaedia

Hacking, C. Great vessels (Gray's illustration). Case study, Radiopaedia.org. (accessed on 21 Oct 2022) https://doi.org/10.53347/rID-55141 • CC by-nc-sa 3.0 (modified)

Coronary

sinus • CT chest arterial phase axial - labeling questions - Ganzer Fall bei Radiopaedia

Hacking C, CT chest arterial phase axial - labeling questions. Case study, Radiopaedia.org (Accessed on 21 May 2023) https://doi.org/10.53347/rID-62533 • CC by-nc-sa 3.0 (modified)

Radiopaedia • CC-by-nc-sa 3.0 • de

The brachiocephalic trunk (BCT) (also known as the brachiocephalic artery, and previously as the innominate artery) is a major vessel that supplies the head, neck and right arm.

Gross anatomy

The brachiocephalic trunk is the first of the three main branches of the aortic arch, which originates from the upward convexity. It measures 4-5 cm in length with a diameter of 12.1 ± 1.6 mm.

After arising in the midline, it courses upwards to the right, crossing the trachea and bifurcates posterior to the right sternoclavicular joint, into the right subclavian and right common carotid arteries. It has no other branches.

Variant anatomy

the brachiocephalic trunk may share a common origin with the left common carotid artery, this is called a bovine arch
aberrant brachiocephalic trunk (rare)
thyroidea ima artery may be a branch (rare)
absent brachiocephalic trunk due to separate origins of the right subclavian and right common carotid arteries from the aortic arch
high riding bracheocephalic trunk