External carotid artery
The external carotid artery is the major artery of the head and upper neck. It arises from the common carotid artery. It terminates by splitting into the superficial temporal and maxillary artery within the parotid gland.[1]
External carotid artery
arteria carotis externa
Structure[edit]
Origin[edit]
The external carotid artery arises from the common carotid artery just inferior to the inferior border of the thyroid cartilage.[1]
At its origin, this artery is closer to the skin and more medial than the internal carotid, and is situated within the carotid triangle.
Course and fate[edit]
It curves to pass anterosuperiorly before inclining posterior-ward to reach the space posterior the neck of the mandible, where it divides into the superficial temporal and maxillary artery within the parotid gland.
It rapidly diminishes in size as it travels up the neck, owing to the number and large size of its branches.
Relations[edit]
At the origin, external carotid artery is more medial than internal carotid artery. When external carotid artery ascends the neck, it lies more lateral than internal carotid artery.[2]
The external carotid artery is covered by the skin, superficial fascia, platysma muscle, deep fascia, and anterior margin of the sternocleidomastoid; it is crossed by the hypoglossal nerve, by the lingual, ranine, common facial, and superior thyroid veins; and by the digastricus and stylohyoideus muscles; higher up it passes deeply into the substance of the parotid gland, where it lies deep to the facial nerve and the junction of the temporal and internal maxillary veins.
Medial to it are the hyoid bone, the wall of the pharynx, the superior laryngeal nerve, and a portion of the parotid gland.
Posterior to it, near its origin, is the superior laryngeal nerve; and higher up, it is separated from the internal carotid by the styloglossus and stylopharyngeus muscles, the glossopharyngeal nerve, the pharyngeal branch of the vagus, and part of the parotid gland.
Branches of external carotid artery
