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Superficial temporal artery
Frontal branch of the superficial temporal artery
Superficial dissection of the right side of the neck, showing the carotid and subclavian arteries.
Details
Source	External carotid artery
Branches	Transverse facial artery Middle temporal artery Anterior auricular branch frontal branch parietal branch
Vein	Superficial temporal vein
Supplies	Temple, scalp
Identifiers
Latin	arteria temporalis superficialis
TA98	A12.2.05.045
TA2	4413
FMA	49650
Anatomical terminology[edit on Wikidata]

In human anatomy, the superficial temporal artery is a major artery of the head. It arises from the external carotid artery when it splits into the superficial temporal artery and maxillary artery.

Its pulse can be felt above the zygomatic arch, 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, and passes superficially over the posterior root of the zygomatic process of the temporal bone; 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 frontal branch of the superficial temporal artery (anterior temporal) runs tortuously upward and forward to the forehead, supplying the muscles, skin, and pericranium in this region, and anastomosing with the supraorbital and frontal arteries. 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 (anastomoses) with, among others, the supraorbital artery of the internal carotid artery.

Clinical significance

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

Additional images

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

References

This article incorporates text in the public domain from page 559 of the 20th edition of Gray's Anatomy (1918)

External links

• lesson4 at The Anatomy Lesson by Wesley Norman (Georgetown University) (parotid4, infratempfossaart)
• Angiogram of the superficial temporal artery
• Diagram at stchas.edu
• http://www.dartmouth.edu/~humananatomy/figures/chapter_47/47-2.HTM

  v t e Arteries of the head and neck
  CCA	ECA sup. thyroid superior laryngeal sternocleidomastoid branch infrahyoid branch cricothyroid branch glandular branches asc. pharyngeal posterior meningeal pharyngeal branches inferior tympanic lingual suprahyoid dorsal lingual deep lingual sublingual facial cervical branches (ascending palatine, tonsillar, submental, glandular) facial branches (inferior labial superior labial / nasal septum lateral nasal angular) occipital sternocleidomastoid meningeal occipital auricular descending post. auricular stylomastoid stapedial auricular occipital supf. temporal transverse facial middle temporal (zygomatico-orbital) anterior auricular frontal parietal maxillary 1st part / mandibular anterior tympanic deep auricular middle meningeal (superior tympanic, petrosal) accessory meningeal inferior alveolar 2nd part / pterygoid to muscles of mastication (deep temporal, pterygoid, masseteric) buccal 3rd part / pterygopalatine posterior superior alveolar infraorbital (anterior superior alveolar) descending palatine (greater palatine, lesser palatine) artery of the pterygoid canal sphenopalatine (posterior septal branches, posterior lateral nasal) pharyngeal ICA cervical carotid sinus petrous Vidian caroticotympanic cavernous/ ophthalmic orbital group:anterior ethmoidal posterior ethmoidal lacrimal (lateral palpebral) medial palpebral terminal (supraorbital, supratrochlear, dorsal nasal) ocular group: central retinal ciliary (short posterior, long posterior, anterior) Circulus arteriosus major hypophysial (superior, inferior) brain Circle of Willis ACA (anterior communicating, Recurrent artery of Heubner, Orbitofrontal artery) MCA (anterolateral central, Prefrontal artery, Superior terminal branch, Inferior terminal branch, Anterior temporal branch) posterior communicating anterior choroidal
  ScA	vertebral artery meningeal spinal (posterior, anterior) basilar: pontine labyrinthine cerebellar (AICA, SCA, PICA) cerebral (PCA) thyrocervical trunk inferior thyroid inferior laryngeal tracheal esophageal ascending cervical pharyngeal glandular branches transverse cervical superficial branch deep branch / dorsal scapular scapular anastomosis suprascapular acromial branch scapular anastomosis costocervical trunk deep cervical Supreme Intercostal artery

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• Arteries of the head and neck