Blood Supply to the Head and Neck and Venous Drainage Quiz (ODS Learning Outcomes)

The brachiocephalic artery branches into the right subclavian and right common carotid arteries. The right subclavian supplies the right arm, while the right common carotid supplies the right side of the head and neck.

The arch of the aorta directly gives rise to the left subclavian and left common carotid arteries. The left subclavian supplies the left arm, and the left common carotid supplies the left side of the head and neck.

The internal carotid artery supplies the brain and the eye.

The external carotid artery supplies structures outside of the skull, like the face and neck.

The lingual artery supplies the tongue, sublingual gland, and buccal/gingival mucous membranes.

The facial artery branches several times to supply muscles, skin of the face, and the submandibular gland.

The posterior auricular artery supplies muscles in the back of the neck, skin around the ear, and ear structures.

The superficial temporal artery supplies the scalp, parotid gland, and temporomandibular joint.

The maxillary artery is a complex artery with many branches, and it supplies various structures in the face, jaw, and mouth.

The occipital artery supplies muscles in the back of the neck, skin of the neck and ear, and the scalp.

The maxillary artery supplies blood to the teeth. It branches into the superior alveolar artery, which further splits into posterior, middle, and anterior branches, supplying the maxillary teeth based on their position.

The inferior alveolar artery, a branch of the maxillary artery, provides blood to the mandibular teeth. It branches into the dental, incisive, and mental arteries, supplying the mandibular teeth depending on their position.

The internal carotid artery, a branch of the common carotid artery, supplies blood to the brain, eyes, forehead, and part of the nose. It travels deep within the face, through the carotid canal in the base of the skull, and into the cranial cavity.

The external carotid artery supplies blood to the superficial structures of the head and neck, including the neck, face, scalp, tongue, and maxilla.

The external carotid artery branches into eight main arteries: superior thyroid, ascending pharyngeal, lingual, facial, occipital, posterior auricular, superficial temporal, and maxillary. These arteries supply various structures within the head.

The internal jugular vein drains blood from the brain, skull, oral cavity, and superficial structures of the face and neck. It is located deep in the neck.

The external jugular vein drains blood from the face and neck. It forms from the posterior retromandibular vein, which merges with the posterior auricular, cervical, suprascapular, and anterior jugular veins.

The pterygoid venous plexus is a network of veins around the pterygoid muscle in the infratemporal fossa. It forms the maxillary vein, which drains the palate, nasal cavity, sinuses, and nasopharynx.

The pterygoid venous plexus acts as a venous pump. As the mouth opens and the pterygoid muscle contracts, it helps pump blood back to the heart. This pumping action is enhanced during yawning.

An infection in the pterygoid venous plexus can quickly spread throughout the area, potentially reaching the skull and causing life-threatening complications. This is relevant to dentists as the pterygoid plexus is close to the injection site for inferior alveolar nerve blocks.