Head and Neck 3: Blood Vessels and Lymphatics

• At the root of the neck are the subclavian and common carotid arteries, which supply the head and neck
• The common carotid artery splits into the internal carotid (supplies brain) and external carotid (8 branches to the anterior neck, face, and scalp)
• The internal carotid artery goes into the skull and supplies the brain, but there is one branch to the extracerebral branch (opthalmic) that supplies the orbit
• At the bifurcation of the common carotid is the carotid body (chemoreceptor to detect changes in the amount of carbon dioxide in blood), which is supplied by CN IX (glossopharyngeal)
• Near the bifurcation of the common carotid is the carotid sinus (baroreceptor for blood pressure), which is supplied by CN IX (glossopharyngeal)
• Arteries of the head and neck overview

  A) internal carotid

  B) external carotid

  C) common carotid

  D) subclavian

  E) vertebral

  
• The external carotid branches into 8 branches: superior thyroid, lingual, facial, ascending pharyngeal, occipital, posterior auricular, superficial temporal, maxillary
• Branches of external carotid artery

  A) maxillary

  B) superficial temporal

  C) posterior auricular

  D) occipital

  E) ascending pharyngeal

  F) facial

  G) lingual

  H) superior thyroid

  
• The lingual artery runs into the floor of the mouth and runs medially to the hyoglossus muscle
• The lingual artery has four branches: suprahyoid, dorsal lingual, deep lingual, and sublingual
• Vasculature of the tongue

  A) dorsal lingual

  B) deep lingual

  C) suprahyoid

  D) sublingual

  
• The facial artery ascends on the face towards the medial corner of the orbit and has 7 branches
• Branches of the facial artery: submental, ascending palatine, tonsillar, inferior labial, superior labial, lateral nasal, angular
• Branches of facial artery

  A) angular

  B) lateral nasal

  C) superior labial

  D) inferior labial

  E) tonsillar

  F) ascending palatine

  G) submental

  
• The maxillary artery has 17 named branches and can be split into three parts
• First part of the maxillary artery sends branches to the ear, inside the skull and contains the inferior alveolar branch
• Second part of the maxillary artery branches to the muscles of mastication
• Third part of the maxillary artery enters the pterygopalatine fossa and supplies branches to the oral cavity, including the infraorbital and posterior superior alveolar branches
• Dorsal lingual artery supplies the base of the tongue
• Deep lingual artery supplies the apex of the tongue
• Sublingual artery supplies muscles of the tongue
• The floor of the mouth is supplied by the sublingual, submental, and mylohyoid branch of the inferior alveolar artery
• From the maxillary artery, the buccal (to the cheek) and infraorbital (upper lip) supply the cheeks and lips
• From the facial artery, the inferior labial and superior labial supply the lower and upper lip respectively
• From the inferior alveolar artery (branch of maxillary), the mental artery supplies the lower lip and chin
• The maxillary artery splits into the inferior alveolar, infraorbital, and posterior superior alveolar branches which will supply the teeth
• The inferior alveolar branch supplies the mandibular teeth, entering through the mandibular foramen to the canal and splitting into incisive branches and the mental branch
• The infraorbital artery travels through the infraorbital foramen and splits into the middle and anterior superior alveolar branches that travel along the walls of the maxillary sinus to supply the maxillary teeth along with the posterior superior alveolar artery
• Vasculature of the teeth

  A) middle superior alveolar

  B) anterior superior alveolar

  C) posterior superior alveolar

  D) inferior alveolar

  
• The palate is supplied by the lesser palatine artery (soft palate), greater palatine (hard palate), and sphenopalatine artery (supplies nasal cavity and goes to incisive canal)
• The greater and lesser palatine arteries split from the descending palatine artery in the palatine canal
• The sublingual gland is supplied by the lingual artery
• The submandibular gland is supplied by the facial artery
• The parotid gland is supplied by the maxillary, superficial temporal, and posterior auricular arteries
• The brain is drained by intracranial dural sinuses, while extracerebral tissues are drained by veins that accompany homonymous arteries or by venous plexuses
• Venous blood of the head and neck is ultimately collected by three veins: external jugular, internal jugular, subclavian
• On the surface of the SCM is the external jugular vein (superficial vein) and below it is the internal jugular vein (deep vein)
• The jugular veins drain into the subclavian vein near the root of the neck
• Drainage of the head and neck

  A) external jugular

  B) internal jugular

  C) subclavian

  
• The external jugular vein is formed by the posterior auricular and the posterior division of the retromandibular vein (the retromandibular vein lies behind the mandible, usually inside the parotid gland)