Table 3.1: Tributaries of the External Carotid Artery of the Alpaca, Vicugna Pacos Artery Origin Course Distribution Superficial structures of the Begins at occipital artery; courses throughout deep and face; lingual and External Carotid Common Carotid superficial structures of the head. pharyngeal structures of the deeper cranium Descending Branches from ECA near caudal border of mandible; courses External Carotid Oropharynx Pharyngeal ventrally to oropharynx. From superior surface of ECA, gives off condylar a. shortly after departing ECA; as it ascends, scours deep surface of the jugular Occipital region; terminates process and posterior surface of temporal crest/mastoid bone. in occipital parenchyma Occipital External Carotid Terminates in by bifurcating into 1) smaller branches that perfuse and intracranially as caudal the occipital region (Nuchal muscles and ligament); 2) caudal meningeal meningeal (enters cranium via mastoid foramen) Branches from superolateral aspect of ECA just behind the tympanohyal; ascends between jugular process and posterior surface of tympanic bulla; scores surface of mastoid posterior to Posterior scalp/superior tympanic bulla/external acoustic meatus (EAM). Ventral to the occipital region; rostral Common External Carotid EAM, splits into posterolateral zygomatic branch (also ramifies auricular branch also Auricular temporomandibular joint); stylomastoid artery branches from supplies posterior medial surface of parent vessel at level of stylomastoid foramen; temporalis m. at level of the crista supramastoidea, splits into rostral and caudal auricular arteries Condylar Occipital Medial branch off occipital; enters cranium at condylar foramen n/a; incompletely perfused After entering the cranium through the enlarged mastoid Caudal meninges; petrosal Caudal Meningeal Occipital foramen, the caudal meningeal divides into a meningeal branch branch ramifies middle ear and a petrous portion of the temporal canal branch (stylomastoid artery) Caudal/Common Common From common auricular trunk, caudal auricular follows nuchal Posterior surface of ear; Auricular Auricular crest and posterior surface of auricular cartilage. superior occipital region Common Branches from medial surface of auricular; enters stylomastoid Stylomastoid Middle ear Auricular foramen; courses through facial canal Branches from inf. aspect of common auricular artery, courses Supplies digastric m.; obliquely to curve around the posterior border of the mandible masseter and buccinator; Common just ventral to the angular process; Gives off small branches to deep branches to Transverse Facial Auricular digastric and masseter muscles; hooks around mandible and buccinator; terminates by courses anteriorly along the mandibular corpus; throughout splitting into superior and anterior course supplies lateral muscles of mastication inferior labial arteries Caudal portion of upper lip; Transverse Transverse facial bifurcates at mandibular angle into maxillary Mandibular Labial rostal portion supplied by Facial and mandibular labial infraorbital artery Transverse Transverse facial bifurcates at mandibular angle into maxillary Maxillary Labial Lower lip Facial and mandibular labial Third and anteriormost major branch of the ECA; departs caudal Parenchyma of tongue, Lingual External Carotid to the greater horn of the hyoid; courses anteriorly through lingual glands parenchyma of tongue Departs deep lingual laterally, shortly after the bifurcation of the Sublingual Deep Lingual parent artery from the lingual; follows interal border of mandible Sublingual gland to sublingual gland target Terminal bifurcation of lingual artery; follows division of Floor of oral cavity, Deep Lingual Lingual intrinsic tongue musculature and mylohyoid (extralingual) inferior to tongue musculature .