Ascending pharyngeal arteries

The ascending pharyngeal artery, the smallest branch of the external carotid artery, is a long, slender vessel, deeply seated in the neck, beneath the other branches of the external carotid and under the stylopharyngeus.

Summary

• origin: a branch of the external carotid artery
• course: vertically with internal carotid artery (ICA) and to the side of the pharynx
• supply: base of skull; anastomosis with anterior and posterior cerebral circulations
• termination: base of skull

Gross anatomy

Origin

It arises from the back part of the external carotid, near the carotid bifurcation and ascends vertically between the internal carotid and the side of the pharynx, to the under surface of the base of the skull, lying on the longus capitis.

Variant anatomy

Very rarely, the ascending pharyngeal artery can arise directly from the internal carotid artery or from a common trunk with the occipital artery .

Siehe auch:

• Arteria carotis externa
• Arteria carotis interna
• carotid bifurcation
• inferior tympanic artery
• external carotid
• posterior cerebral circulations
• Ursprung der Arteria pharyngea ascendens aus der Arteria carotis interna

und weiter:

• Foramen lacerum
• inferolateral trunk
• external carotid artery branches (mnemonic)
• Parapharyngealraum