Vessels of the Head and Neck

Question 1

What are the main arteries of the head and neck?

Answer 1

Common Carotid (I&E)
Vertebral Arteries
Inferior Thyroid
Suprascapular
Superficial Cervical

Question 2

What are the branches that come off the subclavian artery?

Answer 2

Vertebral Arteries
Thryocervical Trunk
Internal Thoracic

Question 3

Describe the course of the common carotid

Answer 3

Ascends in the Carotid Sheath
Anterior to SCM and IJV

Splits at the level of C4, superior border of the thyroid cartilage

Anterior triangle

Question 4

What is the Carotid Sinus?

Answer 4

A swelling at the bifurcation

Has baroreceptors which detect arterial BP changes

Question 5

What is the Carotid Body?

Answer 5

Located at the bifurcation
contain peripheral chemoreceptors
detect the change in pO2
Quite insensitve

Question 6

What can happen at the level of C4?

Answer 6

Bufurcation can narrow (stenosis)
turbulance can occur, atheroma formation
If this embolises it can cause stroke or TIA

Question 7

What does the ICA supply?

Answer 7

Internal structures of the head

No branches in the neck

Question 8

Give some branches of the ICA

Answer 8

Opthalmic Artery - Supplies Eyes

Branches to Supraorbital and Supratrochlear which supply the scalp

Question 9

What are the branches of the ECA?

Answer 9

Some Anatomists Like Freaking Out Poor Medical Students

Question 10

What are the terminal branches of the ECA?

Answer 10

Superficial Temporal

Maxillary

Question 11

Which branches of the ECA supply the scalp?

Answer 11

Occipital
Superficial Temporal
Posterior Auricular

Question 12

Which branches of the ICA supply the scalp?

Answer 12

Supratrochlear
Supraorbital

Both come from the Opthalmic branch of the ICA

Question 13

What are the layers of the scalp?

Answer 13

Skin
Dense Connective Tissue
Aponeurosis
Loose CT
Periostium

Question 14

Which branch of the ECA suppies the deep facial structures?

Answer 14

Maxillary Artery

Question 15

What are the important branches of the Maxillary Artery (ECA)?

Answer 15

Middle Meningeal (Supplies dura and skin) can cause extradural haemorrage if damaged at the pterion

Sphenopalatine
Infraorbital,
Buccal and Inferior Alveolar

Question 16

What is the order of the brain covering? aka the Meninges

Answer 16

Dura Mater
Arachnoid Mater
Pia Mater

Question 17

What are the layers of the dura mater?
What runs in them?
Describe these…

Answer 17

Periosteal layer and Meningeal Layer
Dural Venous Sinuses
Superior and Inferior Saggital Sinuses, Transverse and Vertical
Drain to Cavernous Sinus
Lined by endothelium

Question 18

How do veins of the scalp drain?

Answer 18

Drain via emissary veins (valveless) into dural venous sinuses, which drain to the cavernous sinus/ptergoid plexus and then the the IJV

Question 19

What are the branches of the thyrocervical trunk?

Answer 19

Inferior Thryoid
Suprascapular
Superficial Cervical

Question 20

Where do the vertebral arteries run?

What do they supply?

Answer 20

In the transverse foramina of C6 to C1
The brain (makes up circle of Willis with the ICA)

Question 21

What is the drainage of the supraorbital/tochlear veins?

Answer 21

Join to form the angular vein

which drains to the facial vein

Question 22

What is the drainage of the facial vein?

Answer 22

Facial Vein drains the the IJV, can go via the pterygoid plexus and cavernous sinus

Question 23

What is the drainage of the deep parts of the scalp?

Answer 23

They drain to the pterygoid plexus

Question 24

What is the significance of the scalp being drained this way?

Answer 24

Infection of the scalp can spread to the cranial cavity and cause meningitis

Question 25

Which vessel do we use to estimate the JVP?

Answer 25

External Jugular Vein | Easier to access

Question 26

What can cause a raised JVP?

Answer 26

Right Heart Failure Fluid Overload Tricuspid Regurgitation ``` Pulmonary Embolism (Massive) SVC Obstruction Pericardial Tamponade ```

Question 27

What is the course of the IJV?

Answer 27

Exit the skull via the jugular foramen Descend the neck in the carotid sheath Lateral the the common carotid Deep to the SCM

Question 28

What is the course of the EJV?

Answer 28

Runs through the carotid triangle crosses the SCM anteriorly then goes into the posterior triangle where it goes behind the SCM Unites with the Subclavian to become the brachiocephalic

Question 29

What causes lots of bleeding with a cut on the scalp?

Answer 29

Aponeurosis is pulled by occipitofrontalis which holds a deeper laceration open Anastomoses cause a lot of bleeding

Question 30

What do the branches of the thryocervical trunk supply?

Answer 30

Inferior Thyroid... Suprascapular - Shoulder Cervical - Neck