Anatomy of the Face and Scalp

Practice flashcards covering the anatomy, nerve supply, blood vessels, and clinical correlations of the face and scalp based on lecture notes.

What are the superior and inferior boundaries of the face?

Superior: Hairline or supraorbital margin; Inferior: Base of mandible and chin.

Why do facial wounds tend to gape widely when the skin is cut?

Facial muscles insert directly into the skin; when the skin is cut, the muscles pull the edges apart.

What is the clinical significance of the absence of deep fascia in most facial regions?

It allows facial muscles to move the skin freely, but also means facial infections are not well contained and can spread easily.

Which fat pad is prominent in infants to assist in sucking but is smaller in adults?

The buccal fat pad.

Which muscle is responsible for closing the eyelids during blinking and winking?

Orbicularis oculi.

What is the function of the buccinator muscle?

It acts as the "blowing muscle" and is essential for smiling, frowning, speech, and whistling.

Through which foramen does the facial nerve (CN VII) exit the skull?

The stylomastoid foramen.

What are the five terminal branches of the facial nerve (CN VII) that form the parotid plexus?

1. Temporal, 2. Zygomatic, 3. Buccal, 4. Marginal mandibular, and 5. Cervical branches.

Which nerve provides parasympathetic supply to the parotid gland?

Cranial nerve IX (Glossopharyngeal nerve).

What is Bell’s Palsy?

A lower motor neuron paralysis of the facial nerve (CN VII) resulting in weakness or paralysis of the muscles of facial expression.

Why is a patient with Bell’s Palsy at risk for corneal ulceration?

Due to the inability to close the eyelids (weakness of orbicularis oculi), leading to dry cornea and exposure keratitis.

Which nerve supplies sensory innervation to the forehead, upper eyelid, and nose?

The Ophthalmic division ($V_1$) of the Trigeminal nerve (CN V).

Which nerve supplies the skin over the parotid gland and the angle of the mandible?

The Great Auricular Nerve ($C_2$, cervical plexus).

What is Trigeminal Neuralgia (tic douloureux)?

A neurological disorder causing sudden, severe, stabbing pain in areas supplied by CN V, often triggered by mild stimuli like touch or chewing.

Where can the pulsation of the facial artery be felt?

At the anteroinferior angle of the masseter muscle, as it crosses the lower border of the mandible.

The facial artery anastomoses with which branch of the ophthalmic artery near the medial angle of the eye?

The dorsal nasal branch.

What constitutes the "dangerous area of the face"?

The upper lip, nasal septum, and ala of the nose, due to venous drainage communicating with the cavernous sinus.

List the five layers of the scalp in order.

1. Skin, 2. Connective tissue (dense), 3. Aponeurosis (Galea aponeurotica), 4. Loose areolar tissue, 5. Pericranium (Periosteum).

Which layers are known as the "SCALP PROPER"?

The first three layers: Skin, Connective tissue, and Aponeurosis.

Why does the scalp bleed profusely when injured?

Vessel walls are tightly anchored in the dense connective tissue, preventing them from constricting when cut.

Why is the loose areolar tissue (layer 4) called the "danger area" of the scalp?

It allows for the rapid spread of infection or blood, which can reach intracranial venous sinuses via valveless emissary veins.

What is a cephalohematoma?

A subperiosteal hemorrhage where blood collects between the pericranium and skull bone, limited by suture lines and following the contour of one bone only.

Which arteries supply the scalp anterior to the auricle?

The Supratrochlear and Supraorbital arteries (branches of the Ophthalmic artery from the Internal Carotid).

Where does all lymph from the face and scalp eventually drain?

All lymph eventually reaches the deep cervical lymph nodes.