External carotid artery

Encyclopedia : E : EX : EXT : External carotid artery

Arteries of the neck - right side. The external carotid artery arises from the common carotid artery - labeled Common caroti on the figure. |- style="text-align: center;" class="hiddenStructure" | colspan="2" |

|- style="text-align: center; line-height: 1;" class="hiddenStructure" | colspan="2" | |- class="hiddenStructure" |Latin |colspan="2"|A. Carotis Externa |- class="hiddenStructure" | |colspan="2"|[subject #144 ] |- class="hiddenStructure" |Supplies |colspan="2"| |- class="hiddenStructure" |From |colspan="2"|Common carotid artery |- class="hiddenStructure" |To |colspan="2"|superior thyroid artery
lingual artery
facial artery
ascending pharyngeal artery
occipital artery
posterior auricular artery
maxillary artery
superficial temporal artery
(The latter two could be considered a terminal bifurcation of the artery; the maxillary artery is the larger of the two.) |- class="hiddenStructure" |Vein |colspan="2"| |- class="hiddenStructure" |MeSH |colspan="2"|[A07.231.114.186.200.210] |- class="hiddenStructure" |Dorlands/Elsevier |colspan="2"|[/] |} In human anatomy, the external carotid artery is a major artery of the head and neck. It arises from the common carotid artery when it bifurcates into an internal and external branch.

The external carotid artery begins opposite the upper border of the thyroid cartilage, and, taking a slightly curved course, passes upward and forward, and then inclines backward to the space behind the neck of the mandible, where it divides into the superficial temporal and internal maxillary arteries.

It rapidly diminishes in size in its course up the neck, owing to the number and large size of the branches given off from it.

In the child, it is somewhat smaller than the internal carotid; but in the adult, the two vessels are of nearly equal size. At its origin, this artery is more superficial, and placed nearer the middle line than the internal carotid, and is contained within the carotid triangle.

Relations

The external carotid artery is covered by the skin, superficial fascia, Platysma, deep fascia, and anterior margin of the Sternocleidomastoideus; it is crossed by the hypoglossal nerve, by the lingual, ranine, common facial, and superior thyroid veins; and by the Digastricus and Stylohyoideus; higher up it passes deeply into the substance of the parotid gland, where it lies deep to the facial nerve and the junction of the temporal and internal maxillary veins.

Medial to it are the hyoid bone, the wall of the pharynx, the superior laryngeal nerve, and a portion of the parotid gland.

Lateral to it, in the lower part of its course, is the internal carotid artery.

Posterior to it, near its origin, is the superior laryngeal nerve; and higher up, it is separated from the internal carotid by the Styloglossus and Stylopharyngeus, the glossopharyngeal nerve, the pharyngeal branch of the vagus, and part of the parotid gland.

Branches

• Superior thyroid artery
• Ascending pharyngeal artery
• Lingual artery
• Facial artery
• Occipital artery
• Posterior auricular artery
• Superficial temporal artery (a terminal branch)
• Maxillary artery (a terminal branch)

External links

• [Diagram]

 

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