Six heads of origin of sternocleidomastoid muscle: a rare case

Received: August 13, 2012
Accepted: October 28, 2012
Ref: Kaur D, Jain M, Shukla L. Six heads of origin of sternocleidomastoid muscle: a rare case. Internet J Med Update. 2013 Jul;8(2):62-64.

Dalbir Kaur MD, Monica Jain MS and Lovesh Shukla MS

Department of Anatomy, Maharaja Agrasen Medical College, Hisar, Haryana, India

(Corresponding Author: Dr. Dalbir Kaur, Department of Anatomy, Maharaja Agrasen Medical College, Agroha 125047, Hisar, Haryana, India; Phone : +911669281193, +911669281194; Email: dalbirshelly@rediffmail.com)

ABSTRACT

A morphological variation in the origin of the right sternocleidomastoid muscle was encountered during routine dissection of the neck for undergraduate students. We found six heads of the sternocleidomastoid muscle, two sternal and four clavicular heads. The two sternal heads were lying side by side, while two clavicular heads were lying superficially and another two clavicular head lying in a deep plane. These variations must be kept in mind while approaching the region for any surgical intervention to avoid complications.

KEY WORDS: Sternocleidomastoid; Anatomical variation; Sternal heads; Clavicular heads

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