Vasculature of the head and neck

Question 1

Where can facial vein and artery be felt?

Answer 1

Jugular vein and carotid send facial vein and artery on buccal side of the mandible. Pulsation of this artery can be felt in the notch just anterior to the mandible. The same notch brings the facial nerve plexus in as well.

Question 2

What are the branches of the pterygoing branch of the maxillary artery?

Answer 2

Anterior deep temproal artery

Posterior deep temoporal artery

Masseteric artery

Pterygoid artery

Buccal artery

Question 3

What is the clinical significance of the position of the facial artery, vein, and nerve passage?

Answer 3

Break to mandible can lead to severe bleeding if it cuts the facial artery.

Question 4

Where do maxillary teeth get their blood supply?

Answer 4

All maxillary teeth get blood supply from the maxillary artery

Question 5

What protection do the blood vessels and nerves get in the neck?

Answer 5

Blood vessels are well protected by strong musculature covering it. Especially the sternocleidomastoid.

Question 6

What happens if there is damage to inferior orbital fissure?

Answer 6

Maxillary artery branches off into inferior orbital fissure which is important to remember because problems in the area would lead to blockage of certain arteries important for vision.

Question 7

What provides blood and venous supply to the TMJ?

Answer 7

Arterial: Superficial temporal, deep auricular, and anterior tympanic artery.

Venous: Superficial temporal vein, maxillary vein.

Question 8

What structure pass through the attachment of the notch in the sphenomandibular ligament?

Answer 8

The inferior alveolar nerve, artery, and vein pass through the sphenomandubular ligament. Mylohyoid branch of inferior alveolar nerve and artery passes through this.

Question 9

Where does external carotid artery branch into the maxillary artery?

Answer 9

Medial side of the ramus of the mandible right next to the condyle of the TMJ.

Question 10

How does the maxillary artery provide blood supply to the oral and nasal cavities?

Answer 10

Maxillary artery supplies to orbit, nasal conchae, maxillary teeth.

Anastomoses between nasal and oral cavity through the nasopalatine canal.

Question 11

What are the most important arteries to remember?

Answer 11

External carotid artery

Maxillary artery

Question 12

Is there a mandibular artery?

Answer 12

google

Question 13

What blood vessels can be damaged causing nosebleeds?

Answer 13

Smaller vessels can be the cause or maxillary artery issues can be the cause of nosebleeds.

Question 14

What is the lingual artery a branch of?

Answer 14

Lingual artery is a direct branch of the external carotid artery.

Question 15

What is the lingual artery a branch of?

Answer 15

Lingual artery is a direct branch of the external carotid artery. (one of the few arteries not to branch from the maxillary artery)

Question 16

What accompanies every artery?

Answer 16

Every artery is accompanied by a vein.

Question 17

Where are blood vessels found abundantly in the pharynx?

Answer 17

At the level of the occlusal plane posterior to the posterior teeth (google to understand this more clearly)

Question 18

Google course of inferior alveolar artery

Answer 18

Inferior alveolar artery runs through the mandible along with vein and nerve. It could be injured

Inferior alveolar canal.

Question 19

How is the facial nerve and maxillary artery related?

Answer 19

Facial nerve comes out of foramen spinosum and anterior to that is the otic ganglion with a little loop where the maxillary artery runs through

Question 20

What is the clinical significance of the course of the maxillary nerve and artery?

Answer 20

Neurovascular disease affecting it can lead to blockage and damage to maxillary artery.

Question 21

What drains into the internal jugular vein?

Answer 21

Internal jugular vein draings the lingual, inferior perineal sinus, pharyngeal vein, common facial vein, superuior thyroid vein, middle thyroid vein, inferior bulb vein, anterior jugular vein and inferior thyroid vein all drain into the internal carotid vein.

Question 22

Important advice for practice:

Answer 22

Think of patient in a more holistic manner, sometimes the condition is not dental specific.

(Toothache isn’t always a toothache)

Question 23

What muscles cover the internal jugular vein?

Answer 23

Omohyoid covers internal jugular vein by embracing it.

Sternocleidomastoid passes anterior to it slightly.

Question 24

What happens if the pterygomaxillary fissure or the inferior orbital fissure are damaged?

Answer 24

Small bleed in pterygomaxillary fissure or fracture of inferior orbital fissure can lead to lots of issues with the eye and lack of blood drainage or buildup.

Question 25

What are phlebolits?

Answer 25

phlebolits are calcifications in veins (older patients especially) causing bulbous appearance and purple external appearance and this may cause bloodstream clots that can be seen as radiopacities.

Question 26

What is lymph drainage accompanied with?

Answer 26

Close relationship between lymph drainage and the veins