The median artery usually regresses after the eighth week of intrauterine life, but
in some cases it persists into adulthood. The persistent median artery (PMA) passes
through the carpal tunnel of the wrist, accompanying the median nerve.
During anatomical dissection in our department, we found two unilateral cases
of PMA originating from the ulnar artery. In both cases the PMA passed through
the carpal tunnel, reached the palm, and anastomosed with the ulnar artery,
forming a medio-ulnar type of superficial palmar arch. In addition, in both cases
we observed a high division of the median nerve before entering the carpal
tunnel. Such an artery may result in several complications such as carpal tunnel
syndrome, pronator syndrome, or compression of the anterior interosseous nerve.
Therefore, the presence of a PMA should be taken into consideration in clinical
practice. This study presents two cases of PMA along with an embryological
explanation, analysis of its clinical significance, and a review of the literature. The
review of the literature includes cases observed during surgical procedures or
anatomical dissections. Cases observed by means of imaging techniques were
not included in the study
