The inferior alveolar nerve and maxillary artery were studied in 40 human heads through infratemporal dissection; in one specimen, a unusual variation in the origin of the inferior alveolar nerve and its relationship with the surrounding structures was observed. The inferior alveolar nerve originated from the mandibular nerve by two roots and the second part of the maxillary artery was incorporated between them. An embryologic origin of this variation and its clinical implications is discussed. Because the maxillary artery ran between the two roots of the inferior alveolar nerve, and the nerve was fixed between the foramen ovale and mandibular foramen, tension and compression of the nerve from arterial pulsation could cause mandibular neuralgia.

Vena cava filters were placed with greater technical success and fewer complications when preceded by cavography. Radiologists placed filters with greater technical success and fewer complications than surgeons, which may be the result of radiologists generally having more training and more familiarity with imaging-guided procedures and adhering more to cavography protocol. A credentialing requirement for physician operators and evaluation using quality improvement standards may be advisable.

No abstract