Lecture 4-Major Blood Vessels of the Head and Neck

Question 1

What does the right common carotid artery arise from?

Answer 1

Bifurcation of brachiocephalic trunk at the level of the right sternoclavicular joint

Question 2

What does the left common carotid artery arise from?

Answer 2

Arch of aorta

Question 3

True or false: the left and right common carotid arteries ascend up the neck medially to the trachea and oesophagus

Answer 3

FALSE - laterally

Question 4

Where do the common carotids bifurcate into the external and internal carotid arteries?

Answer 4

At the level of the superior margin of the thyroid cartilage (C4) in carotid triangle

Question 5

What is the difference between the carotid body and carotid sinus?

Answer 5

Sinus contain baroreceptors

Body contain peripheral chemoreceptors

Question 6

What are the divisions of the external carotid artery? (8)

Answer 6

Superior thyroid 
Ascending pharyngeal
Lingual
Facial
Occipital 
Posterior auricular 
Maxillary 
Superficial temporal

Question 7

What are the branches of the thyrocervical trunk and what do they supply? (4)

Answer 7

• Inferior thyroid (it’s in the name)
• Ascending cervical - posterior prevertebral muscles
• Transverse cervical - trapezius and rhomboid
• Suprascapular - posterior scapula

Question 8

Which branches of the internal carotid artery supply the scalp and face?

Answer 8

Supratrochlear and supra-orbital

Question 9

Which branches of the external carotid artery supply the scalp?

Answer 9

Superficial temporal, posterior auricular and occipital arteries

Question 10

Which branches of the external carotid artery are the superficial arteries of the face?

Answer 10

Transverse facial
Angular 
Lateral nasal 
Superior and inferior labial 
Maxillary 
Facial

Question 11

Which two branches of the maxillary artery do we need to know?

Answer 11

Middle meningeal artery

Sphenopalatine

Question 12

What is the blood supply to the nasal septum?

Answer 12

Sphenopalatine artery
Anterior ethmoidal arteries
Kiesselbach plexus

Question 13

What is the blood supply to the dura?

Answer 13

Middle meningeal arteries

Question 14

What do the supraorbital and supratrochlear veins form at the medial angle of the eye when they join?

Answer 14

Angular vein

Question 15

Describe the venous drainage of the scalp

Answer 15

Veins of the scalp connect to diploic veins of the skull through emissary veins and therefore to dural venous sinuses

Question 16

True or false: emissary veins are valveless

Answer 16

TRUE

Question 17

What do deep facial veins drain into?

Answer 17

Pterygoid venous plexus

Question 18

Which artery crosses the cavernous sinus and why?

Answer 18

Internal carotid artery

To allow for cooling of arterial blood before it reaches the brain

Question 19

What does the external jugular vein supply?

Answer 19

Most of the external face

Question 20

Which veins form the EJV and where?

Answer 20

Posterior auricular and retro mandibular veins join posterior to the angle of the mandible and inferior to the outer ear to form the EJV

Question 21

The EJV travels anterior to which muscle in the neck?

Answer 21

Sternocleidomastoid

Question 22

What does the EJV drain into?

Answer 22

Subclavian vein

Question 23

What does the internal jugular vein (IJV) begin as?

Answer 23

Continuation of sigmoid sinus

Question 24

At the bottom of the neck, the IJV combines with the subclavian vein to form which vein?

Answer 24

Brachiocephalic vein

Question 25

Through which cranial cavity does the IJV leave the skull?

Answer 25

Jugular foramen

Question 26

Through which cranial cavity does the ICA enter?

Answer 26

Carotid canal in petrous part of temporal bone

Question 27

Which cranial cavity does the middle meningeal artery enter through?

Answer 27

Foramen spinosum

Question 28

Which site is common for a carotid artery atheroma?

Answer 28

Bifurcation of the common carotid

Question 29

What does a carotid sinus massage stimulate?

Answer 29

Baroreceptors which stimulate the vagus nerve to reduce heart rate

Question 30

True or false: infection from the facial vein can spread to dural venous sinuses

Answer 30

TRUE

Question 31

What is the danger triangle?

Answer 31

Infections in this region can spread through the venous system to dural venous sinuses (triangle starting above nose and bottom is along top lip)