Unilateral high origin of radial artery from axillary artery.

Variations in the vascular system of upper limbs are relatively common, with considerable significance towards the clinical and surgical point of view. The major arterial variations reported are of high origins of radial and ulnar arteries. During routine dissection of an upper extremity in the Department of Anatomy, Medical University of the Americas, Nevis, West Indies, a variation in the origin of the radial artery from the axillary artery was observed in the right upper limb of a 55-year-old female cadaver. The normal and variant origin of the radial artery has pragmatic importance for surgeons and radiologists. Also, the superficial position of an artery makes it vulnerable to injury during cannulation, which may lead to pseudoaneurysm.