Vasculature of the Face

Question 1

Facial Artery

Answer 1

Arises from: External Carotid Artery

Ascends:
deep to submandibular gland
–> winds around inferior border of mandible
–> enters the face, just anterior to masseter muscle
–> Tortuous course over the face to medial angle (canthus) of the eye

Sends branches to:

• upper and lower lips
• side of nose

Question 2

Superficial Temporal Artery

Answer 2

Smaller of the two terminal branches of the external carotid artery (The other is the Maxillary Artery)

Emerges:

• on the face between temperomandibular joint and the ear
• -> ascends to temporal region

distributes to:
-skin and facial muscles of frontal and temporal regions

Question 3

Ophthalmic Artery

Answer 3

Arises:

• from internal carotid artery as it emerges from the cavernous sinus
• -> passes through the optic foramen along with the optic nerve
• -> runs anteriorly to the superomedial wall of the orbit
• -> gives off branches to the structures of the orbit

Question 4

Supraorbital Artery

Answer 4

A terminal branch of the Ophthalmic Artery

Arises:
- from the ophthalmic artery, it passes superiorly from the supraorbital foramen

Distributes:
-to the muscles and skin of forehead and scalp

Question 5

Facial Vein

Answer 5

Provides major drainage of the face

Begins:

• at medial canthus of the eye
• ->runs posterior to the artery
• -> at inferior margin of mandible, it is joined by anterior branch of the Retromandibular Vein and drains into internal jugular vein

Facial vein communicates with:

• Superior Ophthalmic Vein at the medial canthus
• Lateral Pterygoid Plexus via the deep facial vein

Question 6

Ophthalmic Veins

Answer 6

Venous drainage of the orbit is via Superior and Inferior Ophthalmic Veins that

-passes through the superior orbital fissure and enter the cavernous sinus

Question 7

Pterygoid plexus of veins

Answer 7

A network of small veins around the lateral pterygoid muscle

communicates with the cavernous sinus by emissary veins passing through the foramen ovale

Due to the interconnections between the veins, infections of the face (danger area) can spread intracranially (cavernous sinus)