Superficial temporal artery
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| Artery: Superficial temporal artery | |
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| The arteries of the face and scalp. (Superficial temporal visible at center, to right of ear.) | |
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| Bloodvessels of the eyelids, front view. 1, supraorbital artery and vein; 2, nasal artery; 3, angular artery, the terminal branch of 4, the facial artery; 5, suborbital artery; 6, anterior branch of the superficial temporal artery; 6’, malar branch of the transverse artery of the face; 7, lacrimal artery; 8, superior palpebral artery with 8’, its external arch; 9, anastomoses of the superior palpebral with the superficial temporal and lacrimal; 10, inferior palpebral artery; 11, facial vein; 12, angular vein; 13, branch of the superficial temporal vein. | |
| Latin | a. temporalis superficialis |
| Gray's | subject #144 |
| Source | External carotid artery |
| Branches | Transverse facial artery Middle temporal artery Anterior auricular branch Frontal branch Parietal branch |
- "Superficial temporal" redirects here. For the vein, see Superficial temporal vein.
In human anatomy, the superficial temporal artery is a major artery of the head. It arises from the external carotid artery when it bifurcates into the superficial temporal artery and maxillary artery.
Its pulse is palpable superior to the zygomatic arch, anterior and superior to the tragus.
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[edit] Anatomical details
The superficial temporal artery, the smaller of the two terminal branches of the external carotid, appears, from its direction, to be the continuation of that vessel.
It begins in the substance of the parotid gland, behind the neck of the mandible, and crosses over the posterior root of the zygomatic process of the temporal bone; about 5 cm. above this process it divides into two branches, a frontal and a parietal.
[edit] Relations
As it crosses the zygomatic process, it is covered by the Auricularis anterior muscle, and by a dense fascia; it is crossed by the temporal and zygomatic branches of the facial nerve and one or two veins, and is accompanied by the auriculotemporal nerve, which lies immediately behind it.
[edit] Clinical relevance
The superficial temporal artery is often affected in temporal arteritis and biopsied if the diagnosis is suspected.
[edit] External links
This article was originally based on an entry from a public domain edition of Gray's Anatomy. As such, some of the information contained herein may be outdated. Please edit the article if this is the case, and feel free to remove this notice when it is no longer relevant.
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