Branches of external carotid

Question 1

superior thyroid artery

Answer 1

• 1st of 3 of the superficial anterior branches

- runs deep to strap muscles to supply thyroid

Question 2

lingual artery

Answer 2

• 2nd of 3 of the superficial anterior branches

- runs deep to intermediate tendon of digastric and submandibular gland to supply the posterior and lateral tongue

Question 3

facial artery

Answer 3

• 3rd of 3 of the superficial anterior branches
• loops posterior to submandibular, crosses body of mandible and runs obliquely and superfically across face to medial corner of eye

Question 4

ascending pharyngeal artery

Answer 4

• 1st of 3 of the superficial posterior branches

- runs deep to styloid muscles, supplying the tmj and pharynx before entering skull via foramen magnum

Question 5

occipital artery

Answer 5

• 2nd of 3 of the superficial posterior branches

- runs deep to posterior belly of digastric to supply the SCM and skin of occiput

Question 6

preauricular artery

Answer 6

• 3rd of 3 of the superficial posterior branches

- arises above posterior belly of digastric and supplies the auricular region

Question 7

Superficial temporal artery

Answer 7

• 1 of 2 terminal branches of external carotid

- runs superficially to supply scalp, ears, orbicularis oculi and temporalis

Question 8

transverse facial artery

Answer 8

• 1 of 2 branches of the superficial temporal artery

- branches off below zygomatic arch, and supplies the parotid

Question 9

zygomatico-orbital artery

Answer 9

• 1 of 2 branches of the superficial temporal artery

- branches off above the zygomatic arch, and supplies the orbicularis oculi

Question 10

Maxillary artery

(don’t bother with branch descriptions, just know the couple of important branches related to dentistry: i.e. supplies to muscles of mastication*** and supply to teeth and jaw of maxilla and mandible ###)

Answer 10

• 1 of 2 terminal branches of external carotid
• passes medial to neck of mandible, superficial or deep to lower head of lateral pterygoid and into the pterygopalatine fossa

DAM I AM Piss Drunk But Stupid Drunk I Prefer, Must Phone Alcoholics Anonymous
D: deep auricular artery
A: anterior tympanic artery
M: middle meningeal artery
I: inferior alveolar artery###
A: accessory meningeal artery
M: masseteric artery***
P: pterygoid artery***
D: deep temporal artery***
B: buccinator artery***
S: sphenopalatine artery
D: descending palatine artery
I: infraorbital artery
P: posterior superior alveolar artery###
M: middle superior alveolar artery###
P: pharyngeal artery
A: anterior superior alveolar artery###
A: artery of the pterygoid canal