METHODS: Twenty six donkey cadavers of mixed, age, sex and use presented for reasons unrelated to disease of the guttural pouch were subjected to carotid and cerebral angiography using rotational angiography. Rotational angiographic and 3 dimensional multiplanar reconstructive (3D-MPR) findings were verified with an arterial latex casting technique followed by dissection and photography.
RESULTS: The following variations of the carotid arterial tree were identified: [1] the internal carotid and occipital arteries shared a common trunk, [2] the linguofacial trunk originated from the common carotid artery causing the common carotid artery to terminate as four branches, [3] the external carotid artery was reduced in length before giving rise to the linguofacial trunk, mimicking the appearance of the common carotid artery terminating in four branches, [4] the internal carotid artery originated at a more caudal position from the common carotid artery termination.
CONCLUSION: Veterinarians should be aware that considerable variation exists in the carotid arterial tree of donkeys and that this variation may differ markedly from that described in the horse.