Right-sided Oropharyngeal Cervical Aortic Arch

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.