Facial and Temporal Arteries Anatomy

• The facial artery originates as the uppermost of three branches from the external carotid artery's anterior aspect.
• It ascends along the pharynx's side wall before curving downward over the digastric muscle's posterior belly, contacting the submandibular gland's upper surface.
• The facial artery hooks upward over the mandible's inferior border at the masseter muscle's anterior border.
• Towards the eye's medial angle, the facial artery follows a winding path beneath the dilator muscles radiating from the lips and is visible only above and below the zygomatic and risorius muscles.
• Labial branches of the facial artery supply the lips.
• Each superior and inferior labial artery divides into two, running across the lip beneath the red margin, one in front, one behind.
• These labial arteries connect at the midline, causing a severed artery to spurt from both ends.
• The superficial temporal artery, a branch of the external carotid, supplies the temple.
• The superficial temporal artery emits the transverse facial artery, which runs across the cheek above the parotid duct.
• The ophthalmic artery's supraorbital and supratrochlear branches supply the forehead from the orbit.
• In the scalp, these branches freely connect with the superficial temporal artery, creating a communication between the internal and external carotid systems.

Venous Return

• Facial venous return is normally superficial.
• Supraorbital and supratrochlear veins from the forehead merge at the medial canthus, forming the angular vein.
• The angular vein becomes the facial vein.
• The facial vein accompanies the facial artery to a point just below the mandible's border.
• In the neck, the facial vein pierces the investing layer of deep fascia and joins the retromandibular vein's anterior branch.
• Blood from the temple drains into the superficial temporal vein's tributaries.
• The superficial temporal vein merges with the maxillary veins from the pterygoid plexus to form the retromandibular vein.
• The retromandibular vein passes through the parotid gland and divides into anterior and posterior branches.
• The anterior branch joins the facial vein which empties into the internal jugular vein and often receives the superior thyroid vein and the vena comitans of the hypoglossal nerve.
• The posterior branch joins the posterior auricular vein to form the external jugular vein.
• The external jugular vein runs over the sternocleidomastoid and pierces the deep cervical fascia above the clavicle to empty into the subclavian vein, and has valves about 4 cm above the clavicle.

Deep Venous Anastomoses

• The facial vein connects with the cavernous sinus.
• At the medial canthus, there is a connection with the ophthalmic veins, which drain into the cavernous sinus.
• Blood from the forehead normally flows via the facial vein; if the latter is blocked, blood will flow through the orbit into the cavernous sinus. This is known as the 'danger area' of infection of the upper lip and nearby cheek.
• The deep facial vein connects the facial vein and the pterygoid plexus.
• The pterygoid plexus receives a vein from the cavernous sinus through the foramen ovale or the venous foramen (of Vesalius).
• The danger area of the face is located between the angular and deep facial veins.

Lymph Drainage

• The face drains into three superficial groups of nodes: submental, submandibular, and preauricular.
• The chin and tip of the tongue drain into submental nodes.
• A wedge of tissue extending from the central forehead and frontal sinuses through the anterior half of the nose and maxillary sinuses to the upper lip, lower face, tongue, and floor of the mouth drains to submandibular nodes.
• The forehead, temple, orbital contents, and cheek drain to the preauricular group.
• Lymph from the face eventually reaches deep cervical nodes.

Overview of facial and temporal arteries, including the facial, submental, and superficial temporal arteries. Focus on their origins, pathways, and the regions they supply. Also covers the venous return from the face.