What is the occipital artery a branch of?

What is the occipital artery a branch of?

the external carotid artery
It is one of the posterior branches of the external carotid artery opposite the facial artery.

What is the function of the occipital artery?

A branch of the external carotid, the occipital artery begins in the neck and runs to the back of the head. It transports oxygenated blood to many regions. This includes the scalp on the back of the head, as well as muscles adjacent to the sternomastoid, a muscle on the side of the neck.

Is occipital artery a branch of external carotid?

The occipital artery is a posterior branch of the external carotid artery, located in the posterior portion of the neck and the occipital region of the head. The occipital artery supplies several muscles of the posterior neck along with trapezius, sternocleidomastoid and occipitofrontalis muscles.

What is ECA artery?

The ECA provides the majority of blood supply to the meninges, scalp, and face. It originates at the carotid bifurcation and lies superficial and medial to the ICA.

How many occipital arteries are there?

The occipital artery is divided into three portions: (1) ascending cervical, (2) cervico-occipital or horizontal, and (3) ascending occipital21 (see Fig. 2-9A). The meningeal branches most frequently originate from the second and third arterial segments.

What type of nerve is the occipital nerve?

spinal nerve
The greater occipital nerve is a nerve of the head. It is a spinal nerve, specifically the medial branch of the dorsal primary ramus of cervical spinal nerve 2. It arises from between the first and second cervical vertebrae, ascends, and then passes through the semispinalis muscle.

Can you feel the occipital artery?

The occipital artery, which is the most reliable landmark, is palpable at this point. However, in some patients, pulsation of the occipital artery cannot be detected, or detection is technically difficult because the occipital artery is small, the course of the artery is variable, or the patient has a thick neck [4].

How do I remember my ECA branches?

You can remember the branches of the superior thyroid artery by using the mnemonic “I Shall Squeeze Charlie’s Glutes”, which stands for the branches of the superior thyroid artery; Infrahyoid, Superior laryngeal, Sternocleidomastoid, Cricothyroid and Glandular.

How many branches does the ECA have?

The external carotid artery has eight branches: the superior thyroid, ascending pharyngeal, lingual, facial, occipital, posterior auricular, maxillary and superficial temporal arteries.

What are the branches of the ECA and ICA?

The external carotid artery (ECA) is one of the two terminal branches of the common carotid artery that has many branches that supplies the structures of the neck, face and head. The other terminal branch is the internal carotid (ICA), which is somewhat larger than the ECA, which supplies the intracranial structures.

Is there a left and right occipital artery?

The occipital artery arises from the external carotid artery opposite the facial artery. Its path is below the posterior belly of digastric to the occipital region….

Occipital artery
Superficial dissection of the right side of the neck, showing the carotid and subclavian arteries.
Details
Source external carotid artery

What is the occipital branch of the artery?

The occipital branches of occipital artery are terminal branches of the occipital artery which supply the back of the head. This cardiovascular system article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it.

What is the non-pathologic role of the occipital artery in dural structures?

Non-pathologic role of occipital artery (via its mastoid branch) in supply of dural structures is demonstrated in this patient, where the OA (red) gives gives rise to posterior meningeal artery (green and pink). The mastoid branch consists of a short extracranial segment (black), followed by transosseous segment (purple).

Can isolated branches of the occipital artery supply cranial nerves?

You get the idea. The practical lesson here is to know that isolated branches from occipital artery (jugular, hypoglossal divisions) can supply their corresponding cranial nerves, even if the ascending pharyngeal seems to be basically present. Below are some examples.

Is the proatlantal artery the occipital artery?

An embryonic carotido-vertebral anastomosis, the proatlantal artery is, in fact, the occipital artery.