This high-yield revision note on Blood Supply of Head & Neck - One Diagram All Arteries covers everything examiners typically test under Oral Anatomy & Histology — structured as quick-reference tables, clinical correlations, mnemonics and previous-year-style high-yield points. It's built for last-mile revision before NEET MDS, INI-CET MDS and INBDE, so you can scan it in minutes instead of re-reading a whole textbook chapter.
| Artery | Origin | Key Branches/Course | Supplies |
|---|---|---|---|
| Common carotid artery (CCA) | Right: brachiocephalic trunk; Left: directly from aortic arch | Bifurcates at the level of C4 (upper border of thyroid cartilage) into external + internal carotid | Splits to supply the neck/face (ECA) and brain/orbit (ICA) |
| External carotid artery (ECA) | CCA bifurcation | 8 classic branches given off as it ascends through the neck and parotid | Face, scalp, neck structures, tongue, thyroid, ear, dura |
| Facial artery | ECA (anterior branch) | Crosses the inferior border of mandible at the anterior edge of masseter (palpable pulse point), gives labial branches, ends as angular artery | Submandibular gland, lips, face, connects to ophthalmic artery via angular artery (danger triangle route) |
| Lingual artery | ECA (anterior branch) | Passes deep to hyoglossus muscle (Pirogoff/Beclard triangle = surgical access point for ligation) | Tongue, sublingual gland, floor of mouth |
| Maxillary artery | ECA (terminal branch, larger of the two) | 3 parts (mandibular, pterygoid, pterygopalatine) relative to lateral pterygoid muscle; gives middle meningeal, inferior alveolar, PSA, infraorbital, greater palatine, sphenopalatine arteries | Deep face, jaws, teeth, meninges, nasal cavity, palate - the single most important artery for dental blood supply |
| Superficial temporal artery | ECA (terminal branch, smaller) | Ascends anterior to the tragus (classic pulse-check point) | Scalp, temporalis, parotid |
| Internal carotid artery (ICA) | CCA bifurcation | NO branches in the neck (a classic identification trick vs ECA, which has many); enters skull via the carotid canal | Brain (via circle of Willis) and orbit (via ophthalmic artery) |
| Ophthalmic artery | ICA (first major intracranial branch) | Enters orbit via the optic canal | Orbit/eye; its terminal branches anastomose with the facial artery system around the medial canthus (angular artery) - the anatomical basis of the "danger triangle of the face" |
| Subclavian artery → vertebral artery | Right: brachiocephalic trunk; Left: aortic arch | Vertebral artery ascends through the transverse foramina of C1-C6 | Posterior brain circulation, contributes to circle of Willis via basilar artery |
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