THE COMMON CAROTID ARTERY 



535 



of tj'ing the carotid. The ramus descendens n. hypoglossi generally descends in front of the 

 carotid sheath, being there joined by one or two communicating branches from the second and 

 third cervical nerves. At times this nerve runs within the sheath. There are usually two 

 h'mphatic glands about the bifurcation of the artery. These are often found enlarged and 

 infiltrated in cancer of the lip and tongue. 



Behind, the common cai'otid hes on the longus colli and scalenus anterior below, and longus 

 capitis (rectus capitis anterior major) above. Posterior to the artery, but in the same sheath, 

 is the vagus nerve; and posterior to the sheath, the cervical sympathetic and the cervical 



Fig. 445. — Arteries of the Head and Neck. (After Toldt, "Atlas of Human Anatomy," 

 ^-^ Rebman, London and New York.) 

 Transverse facial artery Supraorbital artery 



\ 



Frontal artery 

 ■ Dorsal nasal artery 



Superficial temporal artery 



Auricular branch 



Stylomastoid artei y 



,.v|^rlK^^'^ 



Occipital artery 



Posterior auri( ular artery 

 Descending branch of occipital artery 

 Splenius capitis muscle 

 Internal carotid arter> 



Transverse cervical artery v 



Trapezius muscle 

 Ascending branch 





Acromial branch -. 



Descending branch ^^ 



Axillary artery -^^ "-?''' ^ 



Infraorbital 



Angular artery 

 Superior labial artery 



'^"'** -r\r — Inferior labial artery 

 Mental artery 



Submental artery 



Glandular branches 



External maxillary artery 

 Lingual artery 



Hyoid branch "j Superior 

 Anterior branch I thyreoid 

 Posterior branch J artery 

 -- Thyreoid gland 

 "" Common carotid artery 

 " "Inferior thyreoid artery 

 — Ascending cervical artery 



i^Sr^maS'^^ Superficial cervical artery 



SSEM^5.^ft._..Thyreocervical trunk 



Subclavian artery 



■■- Pleura 



Internal mam- 

 mary artery 



■Transverse scap- 

 ular artery 



Deltoid branch 



Pectoral branches 

 Thoracoacromial artery 



cardiac branches of the sympathetic and vagus nerves. At the lower part of the neck the inferior 

 thyreoid artery courses obliquely behind the carotid, as does likewise the inferior (recurrent) 

 larjmgeal nerve. 



Medially, from below upward, are the trachea and oesophagus, with the inferior (recurrent) 

 laryngeal nerve in the groove between them, and the terminal branches of the inferior thjTeoid 

 artery, the lateral lobe of the thjTeoid gland, the cricoid cartilage, the thyreoid cartilage, and 

 the lower part of the pharynx. At the angle of bifurcation is the carotid gland [glomus caro- 

 ticum]. 



Laterally are the internal jugular vein and the vagus nerve. On the right side, at the 

 root of the neck, the vein diverges somewhat from the artery, leaving a space in which the vagus 



