3c - Principle Arteries of the Systemic Circulation of the Upper Body Flashcards
Name the branches of the aorta.
1) Brachiocephalic
2) Left common carotid
3) Left subclavian
What are the carotid sinus and carotid body?
The carotid sinus is a dilated portion of the internal carotid just after the bifurcation of the common carotid. It detects pressure changes.
The carotid body lies on top of the fork of the bifurcation of the common carotid and detects oxygen levels.
Describe the main branches of the common carotid and their destinations.
The common carotid branches into the external and internal carotid.
The external carotid goes to and supplies the face, while the internal carotid goes to the brain to supply the Circle of Willis.
Describe the structure of the Circle of Willis.
There are three sets of cerebral arteries: Posterior (derived from the basilar arteries derived from the fusion of the left an right vertebral arteries), Middle (derived from the internal carotid), and Anterior.
There are two sets of communicating arteries: Anterior (connecting anterior cerebral and middle cerebral) and Posterior (connecting middle cerebral and posterior cerebral)
Strokes:
a) What is a stroke?
b) What causes it?
a) A stroke is a deficit in perfusion/oxygen in the brain, causing ischemia.
b) It’s caused by damage to the vessels or a blood clot.
Aneurysms:
a) What is an aneurysm?
b) What is it caused by?
c) How is it treated?
a) An aneurysm is an abnormal ballooning in the wall of a vessel.
b) Caused by weakness of the vessel wall, possibly due to high blood pressure, high cholesterol, or congenital causes.
c) Treated by inserting coil through the femoral artery, guiding it up to the aneurysm, then coiling it into a ball inside the balloon before detaching the coil ball from the shaft.
Name the branches of the external carotid artery and what areas they supply.
1) Superior thyroid - Thyroid and larynx
2) Lingual - Tongue
3) Facial - Skin and muscles of anterior face
4) Occipital - Posterior scalp
5) Posterior auricular - Region around the ear
6) Maxillary - Teeth, cheeks, nasal cavity, and mastication muscles
7) Superficial temporal - Most of the scalp
Pathing of the subclavian artery:
a) What point does it become the axillary artery?
b) What point does it become the brachial artery?
a) After it passes the border first rib
b) After it travels under the Teres Major
Name the branches of the subclavian artery and their destinations.
1) Vertebral - Goes to the brain.
2) Thyrocervical - Branches into inferior thyroid (thyroid gland) and suprascapular (scapular muscles)
3) Costocervical - Branches superiorly (neck) and inferiorly (1st two posterior intercostal arteries)
4) Internal thoracic - Anterior to thoracic cage (supplies anterior intercostal arteries)
Name the branches of the axillary artery and their destinations.
1) Superior thoracic - Upper thorax (1st and 2nd intercostal space, superior serratus anterior)
2) Thoracoacromial - Travels under clavicle and supplies deltoid and pectoralis muscles
3) Lateral thoracic - Runs down lateral thorax and supplies pectoralis, serratus anterior, and mammary gland
4) Subscapular - Serves ventral and dorsal scapular regions and latissimus dorsi muscle
5) Anterior circumflex humeral - Goes around surgical neck of humerus and feeds that region
6) Posterior circumflex humeral - Same as ACH
Brachial artery:
a) What does it supply?
b) Name the branches, their branching point, and their destinations.
a) Anterior muscles
b) Profunda brachii (deep artery of the arm) - Branches near the origin and supplies posterior compartment of the arm
Ulnar collateral arteries - Several small branches near elbow joint that form anastomoses with ascending forearm arteries and supply elbow joint
The brachial artery terminates when it bifurcates into the radial and ulnar arteries.
Radial artery:
a) What does it supply?
b) Name the branches, their branching point, and their destinations.
a) The lateral forearm, wrist, index finger, and thumb
b) Radial recurrent - Branches near the origin and travels up to fuse with the end of the profunda brachii
There is only one branch off the radial artery.
Ulnar artery:
a) What does it supply?
b) Name the branches, their branching point, and their destinations.
a) Supplies medial forearm
b) Common interosseous - Branches near the origin and branches into anterior interosseous (supplies deep anterior muscles) and posterior interosseous (supplies posterior muscles)
There is only one branch off the ulnar artery.
Describe the palmar arches.
The palmar arches form when the radial and ulnar arteries fuse in the palm.
The superficial palmar arch lies under the skin, while the deep lies on top of the metacarpals.
Digital arteries branch from these arches to supply the fingers.
Name the blood supplies to the thoracic cage.
1) Internal thoracic (forms all anterior intercostal arteries)
2) Costocervical (forms top two posterior intercostal arteries)
3) Aorta (forms the rest of the posterior intercostal arteries)
