Main Arteries and Veins of Neck

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Main Arteries and Veins of Neck

• Dr. Mujahid Khan

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Common Carotid Artery

• The right common carotid artery arises from the
  brachiocephalic artery behind the right
  sternoclavicular joint
• The left artery arises from the arch of aorta in
  the superior mediastenum
• Runs upward through the neck
• Divides into external and internal carotid
  arteries

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Carotid Sinus

• At its point of division, the common carotid
  artery shows a localized dilatation, called
  carotid sinus
• It serves as a reflex pressoreceptor mechanism
• A rise in blood pressure causes a slowing of the
  heart rate and vasodilatation of the arterioles

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Carotid Body

• It is a small structure lies posterior to the
  point of bifurcation of the common carotid artery
• It is innervated by glossopharyngeal nerve
• It serves as a chemoreceptor
• Sensitive to excess carbon dioxide and reduced
  oxygen tension in the blood
• Stimulus reflexly produces a rise in blood
  pressure and heart rate and increase in
  respiratory movements

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Common Carotid Artery

• It is embedded in the carotid sheath throughout
  its course
• Closely related with the internal jugular vein
  and vagus nerve
• Apart from the two terminal branches, the common
  carotid artery gives off no branch in the neck

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Relations

• Anterolaterally The skin, fascia,
  sternocleidomastoid, sternohyoid, sternothyroid,
  and posterior belly of omohyoid
• Posteriorly The transverse processes of lower
  four cervical vertebrae, the prevertebral
  muscles, sympathetic trunk, vertebral vessels in
  the lower part of the neck

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Relations

• Medially The larynx, pharynx, and below these,
  the trachea and esophagus, the lobe of thyroid
  gland
• Laterally The internal jugular vein, and
  posterolaterally, the vagus nerve

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External Carotid Artery

• It is one of the terminal branches of the common
  carotid artery
• It supplies the structures in the neck, face,
  scalp, tongue and maxilla
• Begins at the level of the upper border of the
  thyroid cartilage
• Terminates in the substance of the parotid gland
  by dividing into superficial temporal and
  maxillary arteries

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External Carotid Artery

• At its origin, where its pulsation can be felt,
  the artery lies within the carotid triangle
• At first, it lies medial to the internal carotid
  artery
• It is crossed by the posterior belly of the
  digastric and the stylohyoid

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Relations

• Anterolaterally overlapped by sternocleidomastoid
  muscle, fascia and skin, it is crossed by the
  hypoglossal nerve the posterior belly of the
  digastric muscle and the stylohyoid, crossed by
  the facial nerve within the parotid gland
• The internal jugular vein first lie anterior to
  the artery then posterior to it

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Relations

• Medially the wall of the pharynx, internal
  carotid artery
• The stylopharyngeus muscle, the glossopharyngeal
  nerve, and pharyngeal branch of the vagus pass
  between the external and internal carotid arteries

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Branches

• Superior thyroid artery
• Ascending pharyngeal artery
• Lingual artery
• Facial artery
• Occipital artery
• Posterior auricular artery
• Superficial temporal artery
• Maxillary artery

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Superior Thyroid Artery

• Arises from the external carotid artery near its
  origin
• Passes almost vertically downward
• Reach the upper pole of thyroid gland
• It gives off a branch to the sternocleidomastoid
• The superior laryngeal artery pierces the
  thyrohyoid membrane with the internal laryngeal
  nerve

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Ascending Pharyngeal Artery

• Its a long slender vessel that ascends on the
  wall of the pharynx, which it supplies

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Lingual Artery

• It arises from the external carotid artery,
  opposite the tip of the greater cornu of hyoid
  bone
• It loops upward to enter the submandibular region
• The loop of the artery is crossed superficially
  by the hypoglossal nerve
• It supplies the tongue

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Facial Artery

• It arises from the external carotid artery, just
  above the level of the tip of the greater cornu
  of hyoid bone
• It arches upward deep to reach the posterior part
  of the submandibular salivary gland
• It supplies the face

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Occipital Artery

• It arises from the external carotid artery,
  opposite the facial artery
• It passes upward and reaches the back of the
  scalp
• Its terminal part accompanies branches of the
  greater occipital nerve to supply the back of
  scalp

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Posterior Auricular Artery

• It arises from the external carotid artery, at
  the level of the upper border of the posterior
  belly of the digastric muscle
• It passes backward to reach the auricle

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Superficial Temporal Artery

• It is the smaller terminal branch of the external
  carotid artery
• Ascends in front of the auricle in company with
  auriculotemporal nerve
• It divides into anterior and posterior branches,
  which supply the skin over the frontal and
  temporal regions

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Maxillary Artery

• It is the larger terminal branch of the external
  carotid artery in the parotid gland
• It arises behind the neck of the mandible
• It runs upward and forward, leaves the
  infratemporal fossa by entering the
  pterygopalatine fossa

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Branches of Maxillary Artery

• Inferior alveolar artery
• Middle meningeal artery
• Small branches to the external auditory meatus
  and the tympanic membrane
• Small muscular branches supply the muscles of
  mastication

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Internal Carotid artery

• It is one of the terminal branches of the common
  carotid artery
• It supplies the brain, the eye, the forehead, and
  the part of nose
• It begins at the level of the upper border of the
  thyroid cartilage
• Ascends in the neck to the base of the skull

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Internal Carotid artery

• It enters the cranial cavity through the carotid
  canal in the petrous part of the temporal bone
• It lies embedded in the carotid sheath with the
  internal jugular vein and vagus nerve
• It gives off no branches in the neck

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Relations

• Anterolaterally Below the digastric lie the
  skin, the fascia, anterior border of
  sternocleidomastoid and the hypoglossal nerve
• Above the digastric lie the stylohyoid and the
  stylopharyngeus muscles, the glossopharyngeal
  nerve, the pharyngeal branch of vagus nerve, the
  parotid gland and the external carotid artery

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Relations

• Posteriorly The sympathetic trunk, longus
  capitis muscle, and the transverse processes of
  the upper three cervical vertebrae
• Medially The pharyngeal wall and the superior
  laryngeal nerve
• Laterally The internal jugular vein and the
  vagus nerve

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Veins of the Neck

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External Jugular Vein

• The external jugular vein is formed behind the
  angle of the jaw by the union of the posterior
  auricular vein with the posterior division of the
  retromandibular vein
• It descends across the sternocleidomastoid muscle
  and beneath the platysma muscle
• It drains into the subclavian vein behind the
  middle of the clavicle

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Anterior Jugular Vein

• The anterior jugular vein descends in the front
  of the neck close to the midline
• Just above the sternum, it is joined to the
  opposite vein by the jugular arch
• It joins the external jugular vein deep to the
  sternocleidomastoid muscle

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Internal Jugular Vein

• The internal jugular vein is a large vein that
  receives blood from the brain, face, and neck
• It starts as a continuation of the sigmoid sinus
  and leaves the skull through the jugular foramen

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Internal Jugular Vein

• It then descends through the neck in the carotid
  sheath lateral to the vagus nerve and the
  internal and common carotid arteries
• It ends by joining the subclavian vein behind the
  medial end of the clavicle to form the
  brachiocephalic vein

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Internal Jugular Vein

• Throughout its course, it is closely related to
  the deep cervical lymph nodes
• The vein has a dilatation at its upper end called
  the superior bulb and another near its
  termination called the inferior bulb
• Directly above the inferior bulb is a bicuspid
  valve

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Tributaries of Internal Jugular Vein

• Inferior petrosal sinus
• Facial vein
• Pharyngeal veins
• Lingual vein
• Superior thyroid vein
• Middle thyroid vein

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Thank you