High origin of superficial ulnar artery associated with absence of palmaris longus muscle- a rare concurrent anatomical variation

Superficial ulnar artery is one among the rare variant form of ulnar artery. The overall incidence of superficial ulnar artery is reported to be 0.7% - 9.4%. The occurrence of superficial ulnar artery is also said to be associated with the absence of palmaris longus muscle as an uncommon variation. We report here such a concurrent unilateral case of higher origin of superficial ulnar artery from brachial artery at mid arm level associated with the absence of palmaris longus muscle in a male cadaver. Knowledge of atypical superficial course of ulnar artery might be useful for cannulation but such a course is also prone to injuries leading to bleeding and ischemia. Therefore, it is important for radiologists, surgeons and phlebotomists to check for the persistence of superficial ulnar artery before performing any interventional procedures in the upper limb.