Variant origin of superior thyroid artery, occipital artery and ascending pharyngeal artery from a common trunk from the cervical segment of internal carotid artery

We report a case of variant origin of superior thyroid artery (STA), occipital artery (OA) and ascending pharyngeal artery (APA) from the cervical segment of internal carotid artery (ICA) in a 63-year-old male patient, who presented with acute subarachnoid hemorrhage. Four-vessel angiography showed asymptomatic occlusion of ICA giving origin to the anomalous branches. There was common origin of the STA and the OA. The APA originated from the OA. We did not find any other description in the literature on variant origin of STA from the cervical segment of ICA in the presence of a well-developed external carotid artery. © Springer-Verlag 2006.