Blood vessels

Question 1

Describe the differences between the origin Points of the right and left coronary arteries. (2)

Answer 1

LCA direct from arch of the aorta

RCA branches from the brachiocephalic trunk.

Question 2

List the 8 branches that the that carotid arteries forms in the neck. Explain their root. (9)

Answer 2

Superior thyroid 
Ascending pharyngeal
Lingual
Facial
Occipital 
Posterior auricular
Maxillary
Superficial temporal 
Some Anatomists Like Freaking Out Poor Medical Students. 
All from the ECA - ICA has no branches in the neck.

Question 3

Describe the terminal branches of the ECA. (6)

Answer 3

The maxillary and superficial temporalis the terminal branches.
Maxillary runs deep to maxilla bone. Forms middle meningeal artery (between dura and skull, cause of extramural haemorrhage), and the sphenopalatine branch (anastomoses to supply the nasal septum).
The superficial temporal can be palpated in front of the ear, and supplied the scalp.

Question 4

Describe the other 6 not terminal branches of the ECA.

Answer 4

Superior thyroid - emerges superior to thyroid but heads down to supply it.
Ascending pharyngeal - pharynx
Lingual - tongue
Facial - supplies inferior border of mandible to medial eye. Palpable between mandible and masseter.
Occipital - supplies scalp over occipitus.
Posterior auricular - behind the ear.

Question 5

Explain the blood supply to the forehead given ECA does not supply it and ICA has no extracranial branches. (3)

Answer 5

Once inside the skull, ICA gives off opthalmic artery which runs into the orbit and gives off supraorbital and supratrocheal branches which sneak out the orbit to supply the forehead.

Question 6

Describe the blood supply to the scalp. (5)

Answer 6

Superficial temporal, occipital and posterior auricular all anastomose to supply scalp, with contributions from the supraorbital and supratrochlear ICA branches.

Question 7

Describe the vertebral arteries (3)

Answer 7

Branch from the subclavian arteries and run through the transverse foramina of C6-C1. Enter skull through the foramen magnum.

Question 8

Describe the path of the internal jugular vein. (5)

Answer 8

Drain the facial, maxillary and neck veins into the IJV. Runs within the carotid sheath, and joins subclavian vein, forms brachiocephalic and joins SVC. Runs deep to SCM.

Question 9

Describe the path of the external jugular vein. (3)

Answer 9

Veins draining scalp with the same names as feeding ECA branches. Also drains deep face, and feeds into subclavian. EJV runs above SCM.

Question 10

Explain how the cavernous sinus can become life-threateningly infected. (3)

Answer 10

Opthalmic veins are little veins passing through the skull between facial veins and the cavernous sinus. This means that superficial facial infections can track back through the veins into the skull and cause life-threatening infection inside the skull.

Question 11

Describe the venous drainage inside the skull. (6)

Answer 11

The superior and inferior Sagittal sinuses and the occipital sinus drain into the transverse sinus at the confluence of sinuses. This joins the transverse sinus, which flows into sigmoid sinus, which also has the cavernous sinus draining into it. The sigmoid sinus then turns inferiorly to exit the skull as the IJV.

Question 12

Describe the anatomical positions of the venous sinuses within the skull. (5)

Answer 12

Superior sagittal sinus - origin point of the fault cerebri.
Inferior sagittal sinus - free edge of the fall cerebri.
Straight sinus - connects superior and inferior sagittal sinuses.
Transverse sinus - runs the path of the tentorium cerebelli.
Sigmoid sinus - transverse sinus moves superficial to deep so it can drain into the IJV.