In human anatomy, the superficial temporal artery is a major

artery An artery (plural arteries) () is a blood vessel in humans and most animals that takes blood away from the heart to one or more parts of the body (tissues, lungs, brain etc.). Most arteries carry oxygenated blood; the two exceptions are the pu ...

of the

head A head is the part of an organism which usually includes the ears, brain, forehead, cheeks, chin, eyes, nose, and mouth, each of which aid in various sensory functions such as sight, hearing, smell, and taste. Some very simple animals ...

. It arises from the

external carotid artery The external carotid artery is a major artery of the head and neck. It arises from the common carotid artery when it splits into the external and internal carotid artery. External carotid artery supplies blood to the face and neck. Structure T ...

when it splits into the superficial temporal artery and maxillary artery. Its pulse can be felt above the

zygomatic arch In anatomy, the zygomatic arch, or cheek bone, is a part of the skull formed by the zygomatic process of the temporal bone (a bone extending forward from the side of the skull, over the opening of the ear) and the temporal process of the zygo ...

, above and in front of the tragus of the ear.

Structure

The superficial temporal artery is the smaller of two end branches that split superiorly from the external carotid. Based on its direction, the superficial temporal artery appears to be a continuation of the external carotid. It begins within the parotid gland, behind the neck of the

mandible In anatomy, the mandible, lower jaw or jawbone is the largest, strongest and lowest bone in the human facial skeleton. It forms the lower jaw and holds the lower teeth in place. The mandible sits beneath the maxilla. It is the only movable bone ...

, and passes superficially over the posterior root of the zygomatic process of the

temporal bone The temporal bones are situated at the sides and base of the skull, and lateral to the temporal lobes of the cerebral cortex. The temporal bones are overlaid by the sides of the head known as the temples, and house the structures of the ears. ...

; about 5 cm above this process it divides into two branches: ''a. frontal'', and ''a. parietal''.

Branches

The parietal branch of the superficial temporal artery (posterior temporal) is a small artery in the head. It is larger than the frontal branch and curves upward and backward on the side of the head, lying superficial to the temporal fascia; it joins with its fellow of the opposite side, and with the posterior auricular and

occipital arteries 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. This artery supplies blood to the back of the scalp and sternocleidomastoid muscles ...

. The frontal branch of the superficial temporal artery (anterior temporal) runs tortuously upward and forward to the

forehead In human anatomy, the forehead is an area of the head bounded by three features, two of the skull and one of the scalp. The top of the forehead is marked by the hairline, the edge of the area where hair on the scalp grows. The bottom of the fo ...

, supplying the muscles, skin, and pericranium in this region, and anastomosing with the supraorbital and

frontal arteries Front may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Films * ''The Front'' (1943 film), a 1943 Soviet drama film * ''The Front'', 1976 film Music *The Front (band), an American rock band signed to Columbia Records and active in the 1980s and ea ...

. In an estimate of the path of the nerve in the soft tissue of the temporal frontal branch using landmarks by Pitanguy, he describes a line starting from a point 0.5 cm below the tragus in the direction of the eyebrow, passing 1.5 cm above the lateral extremity of the eyebrow.

Relations

As it crosses the zygomatic process, it is covered by the auricularis anterior muscle and by a dense fascia; it is crossed by the temporal and zygomatic branches of the facial nerve and one or two veins, and is accompanied by the auriculotemporal nerve, which lies immediately behind it. The superficial temporal artery joins () with, among others, the supraorbital artery of the

internal carotid artery The internal carotid artery (Latin: arteria carotis interna) is an artery in the neck which supplies the anterior circulation of the brain. In human anatomy, the internal and external carotids arise from the common carotid arteries, where these ...

Clinical significance

The superficial temporal artery is often affected in giant-cell arteritis and biopsied if the diagnosis is suspected.

Additional images

Gray1200.png, Outline of side of face, showing chief surface markings. (Superficial temporal a. visible at center, to left of ear.) Gray508.png, The arteries of the face and scalp
(frontal branch labeled at upper right)

References

External links

* (, )
Angiogram of the superficial temporal artery

Diagram at stchas.edu
* http://www.dartmouth.edu/~humananatomy/figures/chapter_47/47-2.HTM {{Authority control Arteries of the head and neck