What are the types of aortic arch?

Most people know very little about their own bodies. As we all know, there are various arteries distributed in the human body, including the aortic arch, which is an artery that curves like an arch. The aortic arch is located in the lower part of the human thoracic vertebrae and is an important part of the aorta. This part involves the human trachea and esophagus, etc. The following is a detailed introduction to the classification of the aortic arch.

Aortic arch classification:

Branching types of the aortic arch: Type aI, the distance between the tangent line of the aortic arch apex and the starting point of the head trunk is equal to or less than the width of the head trunk; Type B, the distance between the tangent line of the aortic arch apex and the starting point of the head trunk is equal to twice the width of the head trunk. cⅲ, the distance between the tangent line of the aortic arch apex and the starting point of the head trunk is equal to or greater than 3 times the width of the head trunk.

The main basis for the classification of the aortic arch is the relationship between the brachiocephalic artery opening and the left subclavian artery (the top of the aortic arch). Part of the significance of this classification is its impact on the difficulty of performing interventional procedures, including coronary artery stenting and carotid artery stenting.

The aortic arch is the continuation of the ascending aorta. From the right side, it is equivalent to the 2nd sternocostal joint, bends to the left and rear, crosses the front of the trachea, reaches the left side of the lower edge of the 4th thoracic vertebra, and is renamed the descending aorta. It is named because its flange in the plane of the sternal angle points upward and left, forming a bow shape. The upper edge of the aortic arch is generally equivalent to the middle of the manubrium of the sternum. The high aortic arch can reach the upper edge of the manubrium or exceed the upper edge of the manubrium. The aortic arch has complex adjacent structures. Between its left front and the left mediastinal pleura, there are the left phrenic nerve, left pericardial phrenic vessel, left vagus nerve and cardiac branch of the left sympathetic nerve, left vagus nerve trunk, left superior intercostal vein, and left brachiocephalic vein crossing the upper and lower part of the front of the aortic arch; on the left rear are the trachea, esophagus, thoracic duct, left recurrent laryngeal nerve, deep cardiac plexus, etc.; below are the tracheal bifurcation and left main bronchus, pulmonary artery trunk and its branches, left recurrent laryngeal nerve, arterial ligament, superficial cardiac plexus, etc. The aortic arch flange extends from the right front to the left back, giving rise to three major branches: the brachiocephalic trunk, the left common carotid artery, and the left subclavian artery. Because the aortic arch is closely related to the trachea and left main bronchus, aortic arch aneurysm is prone to cause respiratory symptoms.

If the tumor compresses the esophagus backwards, it will cause difficulty in swallowing. If it affects the left recurrent laryngeal nerve, it may affect pronunciation. The anteroposterior X-ray image shows the shadow of the terminal segment of the aortic arch, called the aortic arch knot; the left anterior oblique and lateral images show the entire aortic arch; the transparent area below the aortic arch is called the aortic window, within which are the pulmonary trunk and left pulmonary artery. The aortic arch may undergo many variations during its development, the most common of which are the right aortic arch, double aortic arch, and variations in the aortic arch branches. There are pressure receptors in the wall of the aortic arch, and special sensory nerve endings distributed there, which have the function of regulating blood pressure. There are 2 to 3 miliary-shaped bodies below the aortic arch, called aortic bodies, or aortic glomeruli, which are chemoreceptors.