Development of the aorta takes place during the third week of gestation. It is a complex process that can lead to a variety of congenital variants and pathological anomalies. In diagnostic and interventional radiology, knowledge of aortic abnormalities and variant branching sequence is crucially important. This article gives a systematic overview of anatomical variability of the aorta. KEYWORDS: Thoracic aorta, embryology, anatomical variantsObjectives: Upon completion of this article, the reader should (1) understand the development of the thoracic aorta and great vessels, and (2) understand the anatomical and pathological conditions that require consideration when treating diseases of the thoracic aorta. Development of the aorta takes place during the third week of gestation.1 It is a complex process associated with the formation of the endocardial tube (day 21), which lends itself to a variety of congenital variants. Each primitive aorta consists of a ventral and a dorsal segment that are continuous through the first aortic arch. The two ventral aortae fuse to form the aortic sac. The dorsal aortae fuse to form the midline descending aorta. Six paired aortic arches, the so-called branchial arch arteries, develop between the ventral and dorsal aortae. In addition, the dorsal aorta gives off several intersegmental arteries (Fig. 1).The vessels derived from each arch are as follows: The first pair contributes to formation of the maxillary and external carotid arteries. The second pair contributes to formation of the stapedial arteries. The third aortic arch constitutes the commencement of the internal carotid artery and is therefore named the carotid arch.Proximal segments of the third pair form the common carotid arteries. Together with segments of the dorsal aortae, the distal portions contribute to formation of the internal carotid arteries. The left arch of the fourth pair forms the segment of normal left aortic arch between the left common carotid and subclavian arteries. The right fourth arch forms the proximal right subclavian artery. The distal right subclavian artery is derived from a portion of the right dorsal aorta and the right seventh intersegmental artery. Rudimentary vessels that regress early develop out of the fifth pair. The left arch of the sixth pair contributes to the formation of the main and left pulmonary arteries and ductus arteriosus; this duct obliterates a few days after birth. The right sixth arch contributes to formation of the right pulmonary artery. 2With the caudad migration of the heart in the second fetal month, the seventh intersegmental arteries enlarge and migrate cephalad to form the distal subclavian

Introducing gas to the circulation is a largely iatrogenic problem which can result in serious morbidity and even death. We report a case of CT-guided needle biopsy of a pulmonary lesion complicated by acute stroke. The English literature on cerebral air embolism is reviewed, including an update of current opinions on its pathomechanism, diagnostic findings, therapeutic strategies, and means of prevention.

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We report a case of transtumoral diapedesis of microparticles during preoperative embolization of a large symptomatic temporofrontal meningioma, resulting in severe neurological deficit. In retrospective analysis of angiographic images, the pattern of supply to the tumour was found to be predictive for wide anastomotic channels connecting the dural and pial supply, thereby increasing the risk of the procedure. Recognising this pattern can prevent this rare cause of complication in a still controversial procedure.