Vascular Supply to the Head and Neck
Vascular supply to the head and neck
Sumamry This lesson covers the head and neck vascular supply.
ReviseDental would like to thank @KIKISDENTALSERVICE for the wonderful drawings in this lesson.
Arterial supply to the head
Facial artery: Origin: External carotid Branches: submental a. superior and inferior labial a. lateral nasal a. angular a. Note: passes superiorly over the body of there mandible at the masseter Superficial temporal artery: Origin: External carotid Branches: It is a continuation of the ex carotid a. Note: terminal branch of the ex carotid a. and is in close relation to the auricular temporal nerve Transverse facial artery: Origin: Superficial temporal a. Note: exits the parotid gland Maxillary branch: supplies the areas missed from the above vasculature Origin: External carotid a. Branches: (to the face) infraorbital, buccal and inferior alveolar a.- mental a. Note: Terminal branch of the ex carotid a. The ophthalmic branches Origin: Internal carotid a. Branches: Supratrochlear, supraorbital, lacrimal, anterior ethmoid, dorsal nasal Note:ReviseDental.com enters orbit via the optic foramen
Note: The face arterial supply anastomose freely. ReviseDental.com ReviseDental.com Venous drainage of the head
Note: follow a similar pathway to the arteries Superficial vessels can communicate with deep structures e.g. cavernous sinus and the pterygoid plexus. (note: relevant for spread of infection) Head venous vessels don't have valves
Supratrochlear vein Origin: forehead and communicates with the superficial temporal v. Connects: joins with supra-orbital v. Note: from the angular vein Supra-orbital vein Origin: forehead and communicates with the superficial temporal v. Connects: joins with supratrochlear v. Note: from the angular vein Facial vein Origin: angular v. Receives: lateral nasal v. superior and inferior labial v. Connects: pterygoid plexus Note: joins with the retromandibular v. forming the common facial v. Drains: internal jugular v. Superficial temporal vein Origin: descend posterior to the zygomatic bone. Connects: joins with the transverse facial v. Note: forms the retromandibular v. when it unites with the maxillary v. Retromandibular vein Origin: when the superficial temporal and maxillary v unite. Note: joins with the facial v. forming the common facial v. Drains: internal jugular v. ReviseDental.com ReviseDental.com The Cavernous Sinus
Situated on the lateral body of the sphenoid bone, where it receives blood from the superior and inferior ophthalmic veins and drains into the petrosal sinuses.
Note: A common question that gets asked is: what nerves are in close relation to the cavernous sinus?
Lateral walls:
Oculomotor n. Trochlear n. Ophthalmic n. Maxillary n.
Inside/ through the sinus:
Abducens n. Note: internal carotid artery
The Pterygoid Plexus ReviseDental.com Receives the veins that correspond to the maxillary artery branches. The plexus communicates with the cavernous sinus, facial v and ophthalmic v. The vessels then converge to form a maxillary vein, before draining to the retromandiblar v. and internal jugular v. The Neck
The Common Carotid
Right: Branch from the brachiocephalic a. Left: Direct branch off the aorta Bifurcate in the neck at level C3/ thyroid cartilage Carotid body (chemoreceptor) present at the bifurcation
Internal carotid: Passes within the carotid sheath Carotid sinus (baroreceptor) located at the beginning of the bifurcation on the internal carotid a. Anterior part of the Circle of Willis External carotid: (external to the carotid sheath) Superior thyroid Lingual Facial Ascending pharyngeal OccipitalReviseDental.com
Note: In the head (as mentioned above) the arterial vessels that stem from the carotid are: posterior auricular, maxillary and the superficial temporal.
Note: Subclavian branches shown on the diagram below) ReviseDental.com Venous drainage of the neck
The internal jugular vein
This vessel continues from the sigmoid sinus located in the cranial cavity. It travels within the carotid sheath and communicates with the subclavian v. forming the brachiocephalic v. at the root of the neck.
Branches that drain into the internal jugular vein are shown in the diagram below.
ReviseDental.com ReviseDental.com Conclusion The above lesson covers the fundamentals of the head and neck vascular supply. If you wish to expand your reading and revision, please see reference list below.
Third Party Links
References General Referencing and further reading: Atkinson ME. Anatomy for dental students. Oxford University Press; 2013 Mar 14. Arx TV, Lozanoff S. Clinical Oral Anatomy. Logan BM, Reynolds P, Rice S, Hutchings RT. McMinn's Color Atlas of Head and Neck Anatomy E-Book. Elsevier Health Sciences; 2016 Oct 21. Norton NS. Netter's head and neck anatomy for dentistry e-book. Elsevier Health Sciences; 2016 Sep 13.
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