1. Midline of the neck

2. Line drawn from the tip of the mastoid process to the angle of the mandible and along the inferior border of the mandible

3. Anterior border of the sternocleidomastoid

1. Diagastric (submandibular) triangle

2. Carotid triangle

3. Submental (suprahyoid) triangle

4. Muscular triangle

1. Lower pharynx

2. Larynx

3. Esophagus

4. Trachea

1. Thyroid gland

2. Parathyroid gland

3. Submandibular gland

4. Lower portion of parotid gland

1. Suprahyoid group (stylohyoid, digastric, mylohyoid, and geniohyoid muscles)

2. Infrahyoid group (thyrohyoid, omohyoid, sternohyoid,  and sternothyroid muscles)

1. Vagus n. (and its laryngeal branches)

2. Accessory n. (briefly)

3. Ventral rami of cervical plexus

4. Ansa cervicalis

5. Cutaneous branches of cervical plexus

6. Phrenic n.

7. Hypoglossal n.

8. Sympathetic chain

1. Common, internal and external carotid arteries

2. First 6 branches of external carotid artery

3. Thyrocervical trunk (inferior thyroid artery)

4. Vertebral artery

5. Internal and external jugular venous system

The principal arteries that supply the head and neck are the common carotids. They begin in the thorax. The left arises from the arch of the aorta and the right comes from the brachiocephalic trunk. They travel through the neck in the carotid sheaths, medial to the internal jugular vein, and end at the cranial border of the thyroid cartilage (C4 vertebral level) by dividing into internal and external carotid arteries

Supplies the exterior of the head, face and most of the neck

1. Supplies the contents of the cranial and orbital cavities

2. Opthalmic artery is a branch

1. Branch of the internal carotid artery

2. Supplies the orbit and its contents

3. Gives rise to branches which follow the distribution of the ophthalmic division of the trigeminal nerve (V1)

4. Some of these arteries may anastomose with branches from the subclavian artery

1. Superior thyroid artery

2. Ascending pharyngeal artery

3. Lingual artery

4. Facial artery

5. Occipital artery

6. Posterior auricular artery

7. Superficial temporal artery

8. Maxillary artery

1. Supplies the thyroid gland and anastomoses with the corresponding artery on the other side and with the inferior thyroid artery (a branch of the thyrocervical trunk)

2. Also supplies neck muscles in the region and gives a superior laryngeal artery to the larynx through the thyrohyoid membrane

1. Smallest branch of the external carotid artery

2. Distributed to the pharynx, soft palate, auditory tube, palatine tonsil, part of the middle ear and the meninges

3. Anastomoses with the ascending cervical artery (from the inferior thyroid artery) and other arteries supplying pharynx and middle ear

1. Supplies the muscles and mucosa of the tongue

2. Gives rise to several named branches that anastomose profusely

1. Courses deep to the intertendinous part of the digastric muscle and the submandibular gland and then is superficial at the anterior border of the masseter on the border of the mandible and ends at the medial angle of the eye as the angular artery

2. Anastomoses of the facial artery are very numerous not only with the vessel of the opposite side, but also with the internal carotid and in the neck with the lingual and ascending pharyngeal arteries

3. In the face, it anastomoses with branches of the maxillary and superficial temporal arteries

4. Branches in the neck: ascending palatine and tonsillar branches

5. Branches of the face: superior labial artery and inferior labial artery and lateral nasal artery anastomose across the midline. And the angular artery

1. Branches of the facial artery in the neck

2. Supply the palatine tonsil

3. Other branches supply the soft palate and submandibular gland

4. Extensive anastomoses occur

1. Branch of the facial artery in the face

2. Anastomoses with branches of the ophthalmic artery providing direct communication between the internal and external carotid arteries

1. Branch of the external carotid artery

2. Gives off muscular branches and a descending branch that anastomoses with the transverse cervical branch of the thyrocervical trunk and the deep cervical branch of the costocervical trunk

3. These anastomoses assist in establishing collateral circulation after occlusion of the common carotid or subclavian arteries

1. Branch of the external carotid artery

2. Supplies the tympanic cavity, the external ear, and part of the scalp posterior to the auricle

1. Branch of the external carotid artery

2. Supplies the parotid gland and temporal region of the face and scalp

3. Gives rise to the transverse facial artery, which supplies the parotid gland and takes part in numerous anastomoses in the face

4. It also has branches that anastomose with the supraorbital and supratrochlear branches of the ophthalmic branch of the internal carotid artery around the eye

5. There are also others which cross the midline to anastomose with the superficial temporal artery on the other side

1. Branch of the external carotid artery

2. Divided into three parts based on its location relative to the lateral pterygoid muscle

3. First part is lateral, the second part is either behind or in front of, and the third part is medial to the muscle

Pass through the bony foramina

1. Deep auricular artery

2. Anterior tympanic artery

3. Inferior alveolar artery

4. Middle meningeal artery

Supplies the external auditory meatus

Supplies the tympanic cavity

1. Supplies teeth and gums of the lower jaw and the chin through the mental branch

2. Gives rise to the mylohyoid artery

1. The largest and most constant artery to supply the dura

2. Enters the skull through the foramen spinosum and etches its pattern on the inside of the cranium

3. It supplies the dura and bones of the skull

4. There may also be an accessory meningeal artery which, if present, enters the skull through the foramen ovale

To muscles in the infratemporal fossa

1. Deep temporal arteries (2)

2. Pterygoid arteries (2)

3. Masseteric artery

4. Buccal artery

In pterygopalatine fossa-pass through bony foramina

1. Posterior superior alveolar artery

2. Infraorbital artery

3. Greater (descending) palatine artery

4. Artery of the pterygoid canal

5. Pharyngeal artery

6. Sphenopalatine artery

Passes laterally through pterygomaxillary fissure to supply molars and premolars of the upper jaw and maxillary sinus

Passes through the inferior orbital fissure, infraorbital groove, canal and foramen. It gives off:

1. Anterior superior alveolar artery

2. Middle superior alveolar artery

To incisors and canine teeth of the upper jaw and adjacent gums

To premolars and gums

1. Descends through the greater (descending) palatine canal to teh greater palatine foramen

2. Supplies the hard palate and upper gums

3. In the descendign palatine canal it gives off the lesser palatine

1. Branch of the Greater palatine artery

2. Descends through the lesser palatine foramen to supply the soft palate and tonsil

Goes through the canal and anastomoses with a branch of the internal carotid

Goes through the pharyngeal canal and is distributed to the upper pharynx

Enters the nasal cavity through the sphenopalatine foramen and divides into:

1. Posterior lateral nasal branches

2. Posterior septal branches

Supply the upper and lateral nasal wall

1. Supply the nasal septum

2. Its nasopalatine branch passes through the incisive canal where it anastomoses with the greater palatine artery in the mucosa on the hard palate

Veins of the head and neck tend to follow arteries of the same name (some exceptions):

1. Angular vein

2. Facial vein

3. Pterygoind plexus of veins

4. Retromandibular vein

5. Internal jugular vein

6. Anterior jugular vein

7. Communicating branch

1. Connects the facial vein (which drains the face into the internal jugular vein) with the ophthalmic veins (which drain into the cavernous sinus)

2. Since there are no valves in these veins, infections of the face above the mouth and around the nose can be carried into the skull cavity through this connection

 Joined by the anterior division of the retromandibular vein to form the common facial vein which (usually) drains into the internal jugular vein

1. Veins corresponding to all branches of the maxillary artery drain into the pterygoid plexus of veins situated between the tempralis and lateral pterygoid muscles

2. Because the plexus communicates with the cavernous sinus through the inferior ophthalmic vein, infection can be spread from the deep facial and alveolar regions to the cavernous sinus, where infection can be fatal

1. Formed by union of the superficial temporal and maxillary veins

2. It passes through the parotid gland posterior to the ramus of the mandible and drains into external and/or internal jugular veins

1. A continuation of the sigmoid sinus after it leaves the skull and is joined by the inferior petrosal sinus below the jugular foramen

2. It travels through the deep neck in the carotid sheath and joins the subclavian vein to form the brachiocephalic vein

3. Tends to drain blood from the inside of the cranial cavity and most of the deep face and neck

1. Formed by the posterior division of the retromandibular vein and posterior auricular vein

2. Drains into the subclavian vein

3. Tends to drain to more superficial areas of the head and neck

1. Originates in the submandibular region and descends near the midline to enter the external jugular vein

2. If there are two, they are connected by a venous jugular arch

3. Tends to drain to the more superficial areas of the head and neck

A highly variable vein that occasionally joins the common facial with the anterior jugular vein