THE ASCENDING PHARYNGEAL ARTERY 



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1. THE ASCENDING PHARYNGEAL ARTERY 



The ascending pharyngeal artery [a. pharyngea ascendens] (fig. 446) is usuallj^ 

 the first or second branch of the external carotid. Occasionally it comes off at 

 the bifurcation of the common carotid from the common carotid itself. It is a 

 long slender vessel which runs deeply seated up the neck to the base of the skull, 

 having the walls of the pharynx and the tonsil medially, the internal carotid 

 artery laterally, and the vertebral column, the longus capitis (rectus capitis 

 anterior major), and the sympathetic nerve posteriorly. In front it is crossed by 

 the stylo-glossus (fig. 446) and the stylo-pharyngeus muscles and the glosso- 

 pharyngeal nerve. 



Branches of the Ascending Pharyngeal Artery 



The branches of the ascending pharyngeal artery are small and variable. 

 They supply the longus and rectus capitis muscles, the upper cervical sympathetic 

 ganglion and adjacent lymph-nodes, as well as the pharynx, soft palate, ear, 

 cranial nerves, and meninges. 



The pharyngeal branches [rami pharyngei] supply the superior and middle constrictor 

 muscles and the mucous membrane lining them. These vessels anastomose with branches 



Fig. 446. — Scheme of Right Ascending Pharyngeal Artery. (Walsham.) 

 The internal carotid artery is hooked aside. 



Meningeal branch passing 



through lacerated foramen 



Inferior tympanic branch 



Meningeal branch passing 

 through jugular foramen 



Meningeal branch passing 

 through hypoglossal canal 



Stylo -pharyngeus 

 Glosso-pharyngeal nerve 



Occipital artery 



Longus capitis 



Ascending pharyngeal 



artery 



Middle constrictor of 



pharynx 



Sympathetic nerve 



Internal carotid artery 



External carotid artery 



Intracranial part of internal 

 carotid 



Petrosal part of internal 

 carotid 



Levator veil palatini 

 Palatine branch 



Buccinator muscle 



Superior constrictor of 



pharynx 

 Pterygo-mandibular 



raphe 

 Stylo-glossus 



Ascending palatine 

 branch of ext. 

 maxillary artery 

 Tonsillar branch of ext. maxil- 

 lary artery 



Hyo-glossus 



External maxillary artery 



Lingual artery 



Superior thjrreoid artery 



Common carotid artery 



of the superior thyreoid. One branch (th<^ palatine) passes over the upper edge of the superior 

 constrictor to the soft palate and its muscles. This branch foUows a course similar to that taken 

 by the ascending palatine artery, and when the latter is small may take its place. It generally 

 gives off srnall twigs to the Eustachian tube and tonsil. The inferior tympanic artery [a. 

 tympanica inferior] accompanies the tympanic branch of the glosso-pharyngeal nerve through 

 the tympanic canaliculus into the tympanum, and anastomoses with the other tympanic arteries. 

 The posterior meningeal artery [a. meningea posterior] is distributed to the membranes of the 

 brain. Some twigs pass with the jugular vein through the jugular foramen into the cranium, 

 and supply the dura mater in the posterior fossa of the skull. Others occasionally reach the 

 same fossa through the hypoglossal (anterior condyloid) canal in company with the h^^poglossal 

 nerve; while others pass through the cartilage of the lacerated foramen and supply the middle 

 fossa of the skull. 



