Vol. 130 No. 1 (2026)
Perspective Article

Anatomical study of an unusual variant of the great saphenous vein in cadaver: case report and nomenclature review

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  • Domenico Rizzi,
  • Maria Savelli,
  • Luigi Scavo,
  • Diletta Overi,
  • Rosa Vaccaro,
  • Paolo Onori,
  • Eugenio Gaudio,
  • Guido Carpino
Domenico Rizzi
Section of Human Anatomy, Department of Anatomical, Histological, Forensic Medicine and Orthopedic Sciences, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
Maria Savelli
Section of Human Anatomy, Department of Anatomical, Histological, Forensic Medicine and Orthopedic Sciences, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
Luigi Scavo
Section of Human Anatomy, Department of Anatomical, Histological, Forensic Medicine and Orthopedic Sciences, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
Diletta Overi
Section of Human Anatomy, Department of Anatomical, Histological, Forensic Medicine and Orthopedic Sciences, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
Rosa Vaccaro
Section of Human Anatomy, Department of Anatomical, Histological, Forensic Medicine and Orthopedic Sciences, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
Paolo Onori
Section of Human Anatomy, Department of Anatomical, Histological, Forensic Medicine and Orthopedic Sciences, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
Eugenio Gaudio
Section of Human Anatomy, Department of Anatomical, Histological, Forensic Medicine and Orthopedic Sciences, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
Guido Carpino
Section of Human Anatomy, Department of Anatomical, Histological, Forensic Medicine and Orthopedic Sciences, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
DOI: https://doi.org/10.36253/ijae-15259

Published 2026-09-05

Keywords

  • great saphenous vein,
  • anatomical variant,
  • fascia lata,
  • duplication,
  • accessory veins

How to Cite

Rizzi, D., Savelli, M., Scavo, L., Overi, D., Vaccaro, R., Onori, P., … Carpino, G. (2026). Anatomical study of an unusual variant of the great saphenous vein in cadaver: case report and nomenclature review. Italian Journal of Anatomy and Embryology, 130(1), 3–12. https://doi.org/10.36253/ijae-15259

Copyright (c) 2026 Domenico Rizzi, Maria Savelli, Luigi Scavo, Diletta Overi, Rosa Vaccaro, Paolo Onori, Eugenio Gaudio, Guido Carpino

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

Abstract

During routine cadaveric dissection for undergraduate medical students, a variant of the great saphenous vein (GSV) was revealed. Its peculiarity resides in the relationship with the deep aponeurotic fascia in the thigh (i.e. fascia lata). Particularly, the GSV duplicated in two vessels at knee level: a “superficial” vein ran in the saphenous compartment (between superficial and deep aponeurotic fasciae), while the other deepened below the fascia lata. Given the clinical importance of the GSV and its frequent anatomical variations, this case report gave us the cue for reviewing the normal anatomy of GSV and for a critical revision of the nomenclature of its anatomical variations. GSV variants can be divided into two main patterns: i) the presence of a parallel accessory vein, and ii) vein duplication. The main features to distinguish these two variations reside in the caliber of the vein and its position with respect to the saphenous compartment. When compared to variants reported in scientific literature, our case seemed not to completely fit neither with the definition of a duplicated vessel or of an accessory vein. Remarkably, the presence of GSV variant may have key clinical implications. In particular, the relationship with fascial layers could influence the development of vein dilation and varicosity. Therefore, the understanding of GSV anatomy and its accurate study by ultrasound seem to be essential to support clinical and surgical practices relating to the superficial venous drainage of the lower limb.

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