Arteries of the head and neck

Question 1

Where does the right common carotid artery arise?

Answer 1

from the bifurcation of the brachiocephalic trunk at the level of the right sternoclavicular joint

Question 2

Where does the left common carotid artery arise

Answer 2

directly from the arch of the aorta

Question 3

Where do the carotid arteries split into the internal and external carotid arteries?

Answer 3

Level of the thyroid cartilage T4

Question 4

What is the carotid sinus?

Answer 4

common and internal carotid are slightly dilated so important for detecting and regulating blood pressure

Question 5

What does the carotid sinus contain?

Answer 5

baroreceptors which detect stretch to measure blood pressure, this information is fed to the brain and is used to regulate blood pressure

Question 6

What happens if someone has hypersensitivity in there carotid sinus baroreceptors?

Answer 6

In some people the baroreceptors are hypersensitive to stretch so if is external pressure is applied will cause slowing of heart rate, decrease in blood pressure and brain becomes underprofused so syncope occurs- checking pulse here is not advised for these patients

Question 7

Where is the carotid body and what is it?

Answer 7

Carotid body- external to the carotid sinus- nervous cells that act as peripheral chemoreceptors so detect O2 content of blood which is passed on to the brain to regulate breathing rate

Question 8

How does the internal carotid artery enter the cranial cavity?

Answer 8

Carotid cana;

Question 9

What does the internal carotid artery supply?

Answer 9

Brain Eyes Forehead

Question 10

Which artery in the head and neck is atherosclerosis most likely to occur?

Answer 10

Internal carotid artery

Question 11

What will a reduction in blood flow to the brain cause?

Answer 11

Headaches, dizziness, muscular weakness, stroke

Question 12

What will atheroma forming cause?

Answer 12

This will cause thickening of the tunica intima and will reduce the blood flow to the brain

Question 13

What is the doppler study?

Answer 13

Assess severity of athersclerotic plaque

Question 14

What is a carotid endarterectomy?

Answer 14

Artery can be opened and atheromatous tunica intima can be removed

Question 15

Where do vertebral arteries arise?

Answer 15

subclavian arteries

Question 16

Where do vertebral arteries ascend through?

Answer 16

Ascend up the posterior side of the neck through foramen transversarium Enter cranial cavity via the foramen magnum

Question 17

What do vertebral arteries become?

Answer 17

Basilar arteries

Question 18

What do basilar arteries supply?

Answer 18

Brain

Question 19

What do external carotid arteries supply?

Answer 19

areas external to the cranium

Question 20

Where does the external carotid artery travel?

Answer 20

Travels up the neck, posterior to the mandibular neck and anterior to the lobule of the ear ending at the parotid gland

Question 21

What does the external carotid artery divide into?

Answer 21

The maxillary and superficial temporal artery

Question 22

What 6 branches does the external carotid artery branch into?

Answer 22

Superior thyroid artery Lingual artery Facial artery (superficial areas of the face) Ascending pharyngeal artery Occipital artery Posterior auricular artery

Question 23

What is the blood supply to the scalp?

Answer 23

Posterior auricular, occipital and superficial temporal arteries

Question 24

What are the three reasons excessive bleeding occurs in the scalp?

Answer 24

Walls of the arteries are tightly and closely bound to connective tissue which prevents constiction Numberous anastomoses means very vascularised- dense blood supply Deep lacerations can involve epicranial aponeurosis which is worsened by the opposing pulls of the occipital and frontalis muscles

Question 25

What is the middle meningeal artery a branch of?

Answer 25

Maxillary artery

Question 26

What does the middle meningeal artery supply?

Answer 26

Skull and dura

Question 27

What happens if a skull fracture occurs at the pterion?

Answer 27

can injure or lacerate the MMA, this means blood may collect between the skull and the dura causing an extradural haematoma

Question 28

What happens in an extradural haematoma?

Answer 28

This causes an increase in intracranial pressure which causes; nausea, vomiting, seizures, bradycardia and limb weakness

Question 29

What is the treatment for an extradural haemotoma?

Answer 29

Diuretics

Burr holes if serious

Question 30

Label the brachiocephalic trunk, vertebral artery, right subclavian artery and basilar artery?

Answer 30

Question 31

Label the arch of the aorta, subclavian arteries, common carotid artery and brachiocephalic trunk?

Answer 31

Question 32

Label the right internal carotid, right subclavan, right external carotid, right common carotid and brachiocephalic trunk?

Answer 32

Question 33

Label this picture

Answer 33