The evaluation of three-dimensional anatomy of the superficial temporal artery using volume rendering technique

Abstract

AIm:The superficial temporal artery (STA) is the one of the terminal branches of the external carotid artery. Three-dimensional anatomical structure of the STA can be evaluated by using three dimensional volume rendering technique (3D-VRT) from acquired two-dimensional contrast-enhanced computerized tomographic images. mATERIAl and mEThods:The raw data of the Three-dimensional Computerized Tomography Angiography (3D-CTA) was transferred to computer and recorded in a software program. This software program created the three-dimensional images of STA using these transferred raw data with the volume rendering technique. These images were evaluated in terms of the location of the STA bifurcation, the distance from the some anatomical landmarks, the inner diameter of the artery, and the type of the variations. REsulTs:The total number of patients consists of 53 (27 female and 26 male) patients. The mean age of the patients was estimated as 57.9±9.7 years. It was found that the location of the STA bifurcation was over the posterior third of the zygomatic arch in 58% of the cases. In 40% of the cases the location of the bifurcation was above the zygomatic arch. The location of the bifurcation was below the zygomatic arch in the remaining part of the cases (2%). CoNClusIoN:The STA images created using the volume rendering technique were evaluated in terms of the bifurcation point of the artery, the length of the bifurcation from some anatomical structures, the inner diameter of the artery and arterial variations. The results of this study showed that this technique might be helpful for the three-dimensional microsurgical anatomy of the STA in daily neurosurgical practice. BulGulAR: Toplam hasta sayısı 53 (27 kadın ve 26 erkek ) tür. Hastaların yaş ortalaması 57.9 ± 9.7 yıl olarak tespit edilmiştir. STA bifurkasyon yerinin olguların %58'inde zigomatik kemerin üçte bir arka kısmında, %40 olguda bifurkasyon yeri zigomatik arkın üzerinde, kalan %2 olguda zigomatik arkın altında olduğu tespit edilmiştir. soNuÇ: Çalışmanın sonuçları bize, sözkonusu teknik ile STA'nın üç boyutlu mikrocerrahi anatomisinin ortaya konularak, günlük nörocerrahi uygulamada kullanılabileceğini göstermiştir.

The superficial temporal artery: A meta‐analysis of its prevalence and morphology

“…The characteristics of included studies are presented in Table 1. Of 21 included studies, eight were based on radiological imaging (Bettoni et al, 2018;Cobb, Galvin, & Gonzalez, 2016;Doscher et al, 2015;Kim, Jung, Chang, & Choi, 2013;Koziej et al, 2018;Kuruoglu, Cokluk, Marangoz, & Aydin, 2015;Manoli et al, 2016;Medved et al, 2015), 12 were based on cadaveric anatomical studies (Chen et al, 1999;Fan, Zhang, Yang, & Huang, 2010;Imanishi, Nakajima, Minabe, Chang, & Aiso, 2002;Kawashima et al, 2005;Kleintjes, 2007;Lee et al, 2014;Lei et al, 2005;Marano, Fischer, Gaines, & Sonntag, 1985;Mwachaka, Sinkeet, & OgengO, 2010;Pinar & Govsa, 2006;Ricbourg, Mitz, & Lassau, 1975;Tayfur, Edizer, & Magden, 2010), and one study included both methodologies (Stock et al, 1980).…”

Bilateral comparison of the vascular pattern of the superficial temporal artery based on digital subtraction angiography

“…In this work, the most common variations of the branching pattern of the STA as well as surgically relevant inner diameters and lengths of its main branches were assessed. As demonstrated before, the DSA and the multidetector-row CT angiography are established methods for anatomic in vivo examinations [10,25].…”

Revascularization of Temporomandibular Joint After Surgical Intervention Using CT Volume Rendering Technique (Clinical Study)

“…On the other hand MIP (Maximum projection) which could be used in vascular imaging, has less sensitivity and specificity where images affected by other high attenuation voxels (like calcified plaques or adjacent bone) that can obscure some vascular details. Also it gives no 3D detailed information about the related soft tissue or bony structure [9] In most of comparative studies in literature show that volume rendering technique is superior to MIP images in vascular imaging and considered an essential technique in CT angiography in all clinical applications [10,11] Literature body showed a lot of studies that investigate vascularity of such anatomical region however no one has described post-surgical arterial injury [12][13][14]. Examination of unilaterally operated cases revealed the same arterial pattern previously described in literature and facilitates tracing of missed vessels.…”