Common Carotid Artery

External Carotid Artery

Internal Carotid Artery

 External Carotid Artery --

Anterior branches
Posterior branches Medial branches

Terminal branches

 Anterior Branches --

a) superior thyroid artery b) lingual artery c) facial artery

Posterior Branches --

a) occipital artery b) posterior auricular artery

 Medial Branches --

Ascending Pharyngeal Artery

Terminal Branches --

a) superficial temporal artery b) maxillary artery

 Its relationship to the external laryngeal nerve is

important during thyroid surgeries.

The artery and the nerve very close to each other

higher up but diverge near the gland.

 Origin anteromedial part of external carotid

artery at tip of greater cornu of hyoid bone between superior thyroid and facial arteries.
Course after short course lies deep to hyoglossus

muscle, finally leaves the muscle in the tongue to anastomose with the fellow of opposite side
Three parts

First part of lingual artery:

From origin to posterior

border of hyoglossus

Relations: -skin, superficial fascia, platysma and deep fascia -lies on middle constrictor - loop of artery is crossed by hypoglossal nerve.

Second part: Lies deep to the hyoglossus, runs along upper border of hyoid bone

Relations: - covered by hyoglossus, tendon of digastric, stylohyoid and posterior part of mylohyoid muscle

Third part Extends from anterior border of hyglossus to the tip of tongue
Arteria profunda linguae

Relations: Medial- genioglossus Lateral longitudinalis linguae inferior Below lingual mucous membrane

 Origin anterior aspect of external carotid artery Course runs upwards in neck, then on face; tortuous in

both places
Two parts Cervical part Facial part

Cervical course

Facial course

Cervical branches
Ascending palatine artery
Tonsillar artery Glandular branches Submental

Facial branches
Inferior labial artery

Superior labial artery

Lateral nasal artery

 Origin posteriorly

from the external carotid, 2 cm from its origin

Course Runs

backwards and upwards deep to lower border of posterior belly of digastric ends posteriorly in scalp

Branches Sternocleido mastoid branch Mastoid branch Stylomastoid branch Auricular branch Muscular branch Descending branch Meningeal branch Occipital branch

 Cervical Part

( Branchless )
Cranial Part

a) middle cerebral artery b) posterior communicating artery

Major Branch

Ophthalmic artery