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Posterior auricular artery

Small artery

Field	Value
Name	Posterior auricular artery
Latin	arteria auricularis posterior
Image	Gray508.png
Caption	The arteries of the face and scalp. (Posterior auricular visible slightly below ear.)
Image2	Posterior auricular.png
Caption2	Superficial dissection of the right side of the neck, showing the carotid and subclavian arteries.
BranchFrom	External carotid artery
Vein	Posterior auricular vein
Supplies	Scalp posterior to the auricle and to the auricle itself

The posterior auricular artery is a small artery that arises from the external carotid artery. It ascends along the side of the head. It supplies several muscles of the neck and several structures of the head.

Structure

Origin

The artery arises from (the posterior aspect of) the external carotid artery. Its origin occurs immediately superior to the digastric muscle and stylohyoid muscle, and opposite the apex of the styloid process.

Course

The artery passes superior-ward in beneath the parotid gland and styloid process of temporal bone. Next, it courses along a groove between the cartilage of the auricle and the mastoid process. It then divides into its terminal auricular and occipital branches.

Branches and distribution

In the neck, the artery issues branches to the digastric muscle, stylohyoid muscle, sternocleidomastoid muscle, and the parotid gland.

In the neck, the posterior auricular artery issues the stylomastoid artery which enters the stylomastoid foramen to provide arterial supply to the facial nerve (CN VII), tympanic cavity, mastoid air cells of the mastoid antrum, and the semicircular canals.

It issues small branches to the auricle, and supplies blood to the scalp posterior to the auricle. A person may be able to "hear" their own heart rate via this artery, under certain conditions.

Additional images

File:Lateral head anatomy detail.jpg|Lateral head anatomy detail

References

Standring, Susan. (2020). "Gray's Anatomy: The Anatomical Basis of Clinical Practice".

Info: Wikipedia Source

This article was imported from Wikipedia and is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Content has been adapted to SurfDoc format. Original contributors can be found on the article history page.

arteries-of-the-head-and-neck

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