Blood Vessels of Head and Neck

1. Major Arterial Supply

• Two key arteries supply the head and neck:

  1. External Carotid Artery

  2. Subclavian Artery

2. External Carotid Artery

• Terminal branch of the common carotid artery.

• Begins at the upper border of thyroid cartilage.

• Terminates in the parotid gland at the level of the neck of the mandible.

3. Branches of External Carotid Artery (ECA)

Mnemonic: Some Anatomists Like Freaking Out Poor Medical Students

1. Superior Thyroid Artery

2. Ascending Pharyngeal Artery

3. Lingual Artery

4. Facial Artery

5. Occipital Artery

6. Posterior Auricular Artery

7. Maxillary Artery (terminal)

8. Superficial Temporal Artery (terminal)

4. Detailed Branches

🌟 Superior Thyroid Artery

• Supplies: Thyroid gland.

• Accompanied by external laryngeal nerve.

• Gives off superior laryngeal artery.

🌟 Ascending Pharyngeal Artery

• Ascends along pharyngeal wall.

• Supplies pharynx and palatine tonsil.

🌟 Lingual Artery

• Courses deep to hyoglossus muscle.

• Has three parts (not detailed here).

5. Facial Artery

• Course:

  • Ascends deep to posterior belly of digastric.

  • Winds around submandibular gland.

  • Enters face near anteroinferior masseter → lateral to mouth → terminates near medial canthus of eye.

• Neck branches:

  • Ascending palatine

  • Tonsillar

  • Submental

  • Glandular (to submandibular gland)

• Facial branches:

  • Inferior labial

  • Superior labial

  • Lateral nasal

6. Posterior Arteries

• Posterior Auricular Artery:

  • Along upper border of posterior digastric.

  • Supplies external ear and posterior scalp.

• Occipital Artery:

  • Along lower border of posterior digastric.

  • Supplies posterior scalp.

• Superficial Temporal Artery:

  • Terminal branch of ECA.

  • Gives off transverse facial artery, supplies temporal region and anterior scalp.

7. Maxillary Artery

• Terminal branch of ECA, runs anteriorly in infratemporal fossa.

• Divided into 3 parts by lateral pterygoid muscle.

First Part – Mnemonic: DAMAI

• D: Deep auricular

• A: Anterior tympanic

• M: Middle meningeal

• A: Accessory meningeal

• I: Inferior alveolar

Second Part – Mnemonic: DMBP

• D: Deep temporal

• M: Masseteric

• B: Buccal

• P: Pterygoid branches

Third Part – Mnemonic: PIGPAS

• P: Posterior superior alveolar

• I: Infraorbital

• G: Greater palatine

• P: Pharyngeal

• A: Artery of pterygoid canal

• S: Sphenopalatine