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Artery of the pterygoid canal

 
Wikipedia: Artery of the pterygoid canal
Artery: Artery of the pterygoid canal
Gray511.png
Plan of branches of internal maxillary artery. (Art. of pterygoid canal visible at upper right.)
Latin arteria canalis pterygoidei
Gray's subject #146 568
Source Maxillary artery   

The artery of the pterygoid canal (Vidian artery) is an artery that can arise from the internal carotid (ICA) or external carotid (ECA), or serve as an anastomosis between these arteries.[1]

It more commonly arises from the ECA.[2]

The eponym derived from Vidus Vidius.[3]

Contents

From external carotid

The artery passes backward along the pterygoid canal with the corresponding nerve. It is distributed to the upper part of the pharynx and to the auditory tube, sending into the tympanic cavity a small branch which anastomoses with the other tympanic arteries.

It can end in the oropharynx.[4]

From Internal carotid

The artery is a small, inconstant branch which passes into the pterygoid canal and anastomoses with a branch of the maxillary artery.

See also

References

External links

This article was originally based on an entry from a public domain edition of Gray's Anatomy. As such, some of the information contained within it may be outdated.


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Pharyngeal branch
Anterior tympanic artery
Maxillary artery

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