Vasculature And Related Neck Anatomy

Front 1

List the branches of the aortic arch

Back 1

1) brachiocephalic trunk
2) left subclavian
3) left common carotid

Front 2

Describe the major branches of the external carotid artery

Back 2

5 external carotid branches:

1) superior thyroid: thyroid
2) lingual: tongue
3) facial: face (pulse on jaw)
4) maxillary: deep structures of head
5) superficial temporal: superficial temporal region of the head (pulse on temples)

Front 3

Describe the function of the carotid sinus and carotid body

Back 3

Carotid sinus is slightly widened part of the internal carotid, right at the branch from the common carotid.
- recall that arterial baroreceptors are located in 2 places: the aortic arch + the carotid sinus. when arterial pressure increases, this triggers neural impulses (APs), which go to the medulla of the brainstem. Increases medulla activation which results in SANS inhibition

The carotid body is a collection of "small, highly vascular bodies that house chemoreceptors." Each carotid body is located just medial to the carotid sinuses, basically also at the branch of the common carotid. The chemoreception here is specifically for blood O2, CO2, and pH.

Front 4

Describe the major branches of the subclavian artery

Back 4

3 main branches of subclavian artery:
1) vertebral
- goes through transverse foramina (of cervical vertebrae), then through the skull, supplying the posterior brain, brainstem, and spinal cord

2) internal thoracic/mammary
- used for CABG, supplies anterior wall of thorax

3) thyrocervical trunk
- supplies the thyroid gland and some posterior shoulder muscles

Front 5

Describe how the vertebral and carotid systems form the Circle of WIllis on the ventral surface of the brainstem

Back 5

The brain is supplied full via the two internal carotid arteries and the two vertebral arteries. Next, know that the two vertebral arteries actually join together to form the basilar artery.

The Circle of Willis is a circle of arteries on the ventral surface of the brainstem. It connects 3 vessels: the two internal carotids and the basilar.

Front 6

Describe the major pulses that one can feel on examination

Back 6

brachial, radial, femoral, popliteal, posterior tibial, dorsalis pedis, common carotid

Front 7

Describe the venous drainage of the face and brain

Back 7

The major one is the internal jugular vein which drains the face, brain, and neck.

The internal jugular exits the skull via a hole called the jugular foramen. IN the neck, it runs deep to the sternocleidomastoid muscle, and is the most lateral of the 3 major structures enclosed in the carotid sheath (the other two being the vagus (posterior) + common carotid (medial))

Front 8

Describe the branches of the vagus nerve

Back 8

Vagus has 3 neck branches:
1) pharyngeal (motor) pharynx muscles for swallowing

2) laryngeal (motor + sensory) --> 2 branches
- superior laryngeal
- recurrent laryngeal: on left side of body, loops back around aortic arch; on right side of body, loops back around subclavian artery

3) cardiac (PANS)

Of course, the vagus also conveys PANS innervations via thoracic and abdominal branches

Front 9

Describe the symptoms of Horner's Syndrome

Back 9

Horner's syndrome occurs when the SANS is lesioned or disrupted. The etiology mentioned in the syllabus is one example of many possible: a lung tumor impinging on the sympathetic trunk in the thorax.

There are 3 symptoms:
-ptosis: drooping of the upper eyelid
-miosis: excessive pupil constriction
-anhydrosis: lack of sweating

Front 10

Explain the significance of the superior cervical ganglion

Back 10

The paired sympathetic trunks connect and run along paravertebral ganglia.

While every thoracic vertebral level has a sympathetic ganglion, there are only 3 sympathetic ganglia in the neck (i.e. cervical ganglia). The most superior one is the superior cervical ganglion. This structure is important because any SANS preganglionic neurons going to the head have to synapse on it.