No abstract

We present a rare case of cervical aortic arch with associated spontaneously ruptured thoracic aortic aneurysm. Our case is unique in that the apex of the arch was at the level of the second cervical vertebra, the most cranial location of all reported cases. To our knowledge, this case represents the first "oropharyngeal cervical aortic arch" ever described. We will briefly discuss the embryology of the normal thoracic aorta and the postulated embryology of the cervical aortic arch. We will describe the Haughton classification of cervical aortic arches and discuss typical associated conditions, emphasizing the key findings in these complex anomalies.

We present an unusual case of partial anomalous pulmonary venous return draining a subsegmental area of the left upper lobe into the superior vena cava. To our knowledge, this type of partial anomalous pulmonary venous return has not been described previously. We briefly describe embryologic considerations that we believe could help explain the origin of this rare anomaly.