"Crown of Death"; Corona Mortis, a Common Vascular Variant in Pelvis: Identification at Routine 64-Slice...

Area of Science:

• Anatomical variations
• Vascular anatomy
• Medical imaging

Background:

• The corona mortis is an arterial anastomosis between the obturator artery and the external iliac artery.
• Understanding its variations is crucial for pelvic surgery and trauma management.

Purpose of the Study:

• To determine the incidence of the arterial corona mortis variant.
• To evaluate its prevalence using CT angiography.

Main Methods:

• Prospective cross-sectional study of 100 patients undergoing CT angiography.
• Evaluation of 200 hemi-pelvises for the presence of corona mortis.
• Exclusion of patients with pelvic trauma, infection, tumors, or prior surgery.

Main Results:

• The arterial corona mortis variant was identified in 14% of hemi-pelvises (28/200).
• It was observed in 24% of patients (unilateral in 20, bilateral in 4).
• The distance from the symphysis was greater in women than men (p=0.034 for right, p=0.046 for left).

Conclusions:

• Corona mortis can be prospectively identified using contrast-enhanced multidetector CT.
• Identification is particularly relevant in pelvic trauma cases.
• Findings can guide endovascular embolization or surgical interventions.