Complete right- and left-sided thoracic ducts associated with aberrant left vertebral artery: unreported case with surgical implications

Anatomy is the keystone to an appropriate understanding of surgical and radiological sciences. Here the authors report on a rare case of complete right- and left-sided thoracic ducts (TDs) associated with aberrant left-vertebral artery (LVA) arising from the aortic arch. The TDs originated from right and left cisterna chyli and terminated separately close to the left venous angle. Superior to the aortic arch, the TDs showed different relationships to the LVA; the right TD was ventral, while the left was dorsal in position. This report is associated with other variations detailed below, and may have important implications in cervicothoracic surgery. (Folia Morphol 2018; 77, 1: 156–160)