Blood Vessels of the Head and Neck

Overview

• Focus on the arterial and venous systems around the head and neck.
• Detailed examination of both arteries and veins.

Arteries

Aortic Arch and Branches

• Left Common Carotid Artery
  • Comes off the aortic arch as the second vessel.
  • Bifurcates into:
    • External Carotid Artery
    • Internal Carotid Artery

External Carotid Artery

• Branches:
  • Superior Thyroid Artery: First branch.
  • Lingual Artery: Supplies the tongue.
  • Facial Artery: Passes over the mandible; supplies face muscles and skin.
  • Maxillary Artery: Runs posterior to the mandibular condyle.
  • Superficial Temporal Artery: In the temporal region.
  • Occipital Artery: Dips under the mastoid process to the occipital region.
  • Supra Trochlear Artery: Runs with the supra trochlear nerve.

Left Subclavian Artery

• Third branch from the aortic arch.
• Continues as the axillary artery.

Veins

Dural Sinuses

• Superior Sagittal Sinus: Drains blood, located in the falx cerebri.
• Occipital Sinus: At the occipital region.
• Confluence of Sinuses: Junction for multiple sinuses.
• Transverse Sinus: Moves laterally.
• Superior Petrosal Sinus: On the upper part of the petrous part of the temporal bone.
• Inferior Petrosal Sinus: Moves with the abducens nerve into the cavernous sinus.
• Sigmoid Sinus: Empties into the internal jugular vein which passes through the jugular foramen.

Major Veins

• Internal Jugular Vein: Runs through the jugular foramen; fuses with the subclavian vein to form the brachiocephalic vein.
• External Jugular Vein: Drains the external structures; runs across the sternocleidomastoid.
• Brachiocephalic Veins: Formed by the fusion of subclavian and internal jugular veins.
  • Right and left brachiocephalic veins merge to form the superior vena cava.

Summary

• Covered the major branches and pathways of arteries and veins in the head, neck, and skull.
• A detailed focus on how these vessels supply and drain different regions.
• Further learning was suggested through additional videos or resources on specific topics such as the Circle of Willis.