Variation in the Obturator Vasculature During Routine Anatomy Dissection of a Cadaver

Abstract

The obturator artery normally originates from the internal iliac artery while the obturator vein drains into the internal iliac vein. During a routine gross anatomy dissection class for undergraduate students at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi, India, in 2016, a rare unilateral variation in the obturator vasculature was found in a female cadaver of approximately 55 years of age. In this case, the left obturator artery originated from the superior gluteal artery and the left obturator vein drained into the external iliac vein. Knowledge of such variations is necessary during hernia procedures, ligation of the internal iliac artery and muscle graft surgeries.