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Neurovasculature

Neurovasculature of the Head & Neck

  • Arteries

  • Veins

  • Nerves

  • Dermatomes

  • Lymphatics

Arteries

 

Arteries of the head & neck:

  • Common carotid artery

  • External carotid artery

  • Internal carotid artery

  • Supratrochlear artery

  • Supraorbital artery

  • Zygomaticotemporal artery

  • Occipital artery

  • Posterior auricular artery

  • Superficial temporal artery

  • Facial artery

  • Superficial temporal artery

  • Maxillary artery

 

 

  • Right common carotid artery branches from right braciocephalic trunk

  • Left common carotid artery branches directly from aortic arch

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  • Common carotid artery divides into external carotid artery & internal carotid artery

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  • External carotid artery divides into:

    • Facial artery

    • Maxillary artery

    • Superficial temporal artery

    • Posterior auricular artery

    • Occipital artery

  • Internal carotid artery divides into:

    • Zygomaticotemporal artery

    • Supraorbital artery

    • Supratrochlear artery

Veins

 

Veins of the head & neck:

  • External jugular vein

  • Internal jugular vein

  • Supraorbital vein

  • Superior palpebral vein

  • Angular vein

  • Occipital vein

  • Posterior auricular vein

  • Superficial temporal vein

  • Retromandibular vein

    • Anterior branch

    • Posterior branch

 

 

  • External jugular vein lies anterior to sternocleidomastoid muscle

  • Internal jugular vein lies posterior to sternocleidomastoid muscle

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  • External jugular vein is formed from posterior auricular vein uniting with posterior branch of retromandibular vein

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  • Internal jugular vein is formed from facial vein uniting with anterior branch of retromandibular vein

  • Other notable veins include: supraorbital vein, superior palpebral vein, angular vein, occipital vein, superficial temporal vein

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Dermatomes

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Dermatomes (general sensory innervation) of head & neck:

  • Anterior to auricle- by branches of CN V (trigeminal nerve):

    • Opthalmic nerve (CN V1)

    • Maxillary nerve (CN V2)

    • Mandibular nerve (CN V3)

  • Posterior to auricle- via cervical plexus C2 & C3

 

Nerves

 

Nerves of the head & neck:

  • Cranial nerves 

  • Cervical nerves

These cover sensory and motor innervation for the head & neck.

 

The nerve innervations you are required to know for this 'Head & Neck" section will be covered here. However, many of these nerves will be recapped in detail later on in the 'Cranial Nerves' section.

 

 

Cranial Nerves

 

Cranial nerves may contain:

  • Sensory

    • General sensory innervation

    • Visceral sensory

    • Special sensory- taste, smell, vision, hearing & balance

  • Motor

    • Somatic motor

    • Visceral motor 

 

CN V

 

CN V (trigeminal nerve) has 3 branches:

  • CN V1 (ophalmic nerve)- sensory only

  • CN V2 (maxillary nerve)- sensory only

  • CN V3 (mandibular nerve)- sensory & motor

 

CN V3 (Mandibular nerve)- innervates all the muscles of mastication, mylohyoid & anterior belly of digastric muscle

  • Emerges from cranial cavity via foramen ovale (covered in 'Skull' subsection of 'Bones' section)

 

CN VII

 

CN VII (Facial nerve)- innervates all the muscles of facial expression, posterior belly of dIgastric muscle, stylohyoid

  • Emerges from the cranial cavity into the side of the face through the parotid gland via the stylomastoid foramen

 

CN X

 

CN X (Vagus nerve)- present in vascular compartment of neck

 

CN XI

 

CN XI (Spinal accessory nerve)- innervates the SCM and trapezius muscle

 

 

 

Cervical Nerves

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Cervical plexus (C1-C4):

  • C1- innervates geniohyoid, thyroyoid

  • Ansa cervicalis (C1, C2, C3)- innervates all infrahyoid muscle except thyrohyoid muscle

  • Phrenic nerve (C3, C4, C5)- innervates the diaphragm

 

Lymphatics

 

Lymphatic drainage of head:

  • Parotid nodes

  • Buccal nodes

  • Submental nodes

  • Submandibular nodes

  • Mastoid/post-auricular nodes

  • Occipital nodes

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Lymphatics drainage of the neck:

  • Anterior cervical node

  • Superficial cervical nodes

  • Retropharyngeal nodes

  • Laryngeal nodes

  • Tracheal nodes

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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