Internal Carotid Artery

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Ophthalmic Artery
Posterior Communicating Artery
Choroidal Artery
Anterior Cerebral Artery
Middle Cerebral Artery

• supplies

  • brain

  • eyes

  • forehead

  • part of nose

• begins at level of upper border of thyroid cartilage

• ascends in neck to base of skull

• embedded in carotid sheath with internal jugular vein and vagus nerve

• initially lies superficially in carotid triangle

• ascends deep to parotid gland

• enters cranial cavity through carotid canal in petrous part of temporal bone

• emerges via foramen lacerum

• emerges from cavernous sinus on medial side of anterior clinoid process

  • pireces dura mater

• turns backward to region of anterior perforated substance of brain (medial end of lateral cerebral sulcus)

• divides into 

  • Anterior Cerebral Artery

  • Middle Cerebral Artery

Relations

• anterolaterally

  • below digastric

    • skin

    • superficial fascia

    • platysma

    • transverse cutaneous nerve

    • investing layer of deep fascia

    • anterior border of sternocleidomastoid

    • lingual and fascial veins

    • hypoglossal nerve

    • occipital artery

  • above digastric

    • posterior auricular artery

    • stylohyoid

    • styloid process

    • glossopharyngeal nerve

    • pharyngeal branch of vagus

    • parotid gland

      • facial nerve

      • retromandibular vein

      • external carotid artery

• Posteriorly

  • superior laryngeal nerve

  • cervical part of sympathetic trunk

  • longus capitis

  • transvers process of upper 3 cervical vertebrae

• Medially

  • pharyngeal wall

  • superior larygneal nerve

• Laterally

  • internal jugular vein

  • vagus nerve

[ Ophthalmic Artery ] [ Posterior Communicating Artery ] [ Choroidal Artery ] [ Anterior Cerebral Artery ] [ Middle Cerebral Artery ]

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