Nerissa Naidoo & Ivan James Prithishkumar

The great saphenous vein (GSV), which has a long superficial course through the lower limb, is deemed as an important conduit of choice in coronary revascularization procedures. It is also a popular site for venous cannulation particularly in emergencies. Upon routine dissection of an 83-year-old Caucasian female cadaver, a rare unilateral unusual course of the left GSV was observed. A distal inter-fascial position of the left GSV was noted in the foot, followed by the occurrence of a thick fascial canal in the leg within which the GSV was lodged. It can be postulated that the presence of the fascial canal may aid venous return and prevent excessive dilatation of the vein during incompetencies of the venous valves. Moreover, knowledge of such variations of the GSV and its related fascial envelope are especially relevant for pre-operative protocols in peripheral vascular surgery.

KEY WORDS: Lower limb; Fascial canal; Great saphenous vein; Vascular surgery; Venous valves.

NAIDOO, N. & PRITHISHKUMAR, I.J. An Egyptian eye in the leg - A rare inter- and intra-fascial course of the great saphenous vein. Int. J. Morphol., 42(6):1504-1507, 2024.