The facial vein (or anterior facial vein) is a relatively large vein in the human face. It commences at the side of the root of the nose and is a direct continuation of the

angular vein The angular vein is a vein of the face. It is the upper part of the facial vein, above its junction with the superior labial vein. It is formed by the junction of the supratrochlear vein and supraorbital vein, and joins with the superior labial ...

where it also receives a small nasal branch. It lies behind the

facial artery The facial artery (external maxillary artery in older texts) is a branch of the external carotid artery that supplies structures of the superficial face. Structure The facial artery arises in the carotid triangle from the external carotid arte ...

and follows a less tortuous course. It receives blood from the external palatine vein before it either joins the anterior branch of the retromandibular vein to form the

common facial vein The facial vein usually unites with the anterior branch of the retromandibular vein to form the common facial vein, which crosses the external carotid artery and enters the internal jugular vein at a variable point below the hyoid bone. From near ...

, or drains directly into the internal jugular vein. A common misconception states that the facial vein has no valves, but this has been contradicted by recent studies. Its walls are not so flaccid as most

superficial veins Superficial veins are veins that are close to the surface of the body, as opposed to deep veins, which are far from the surface. Superficial veins are not paired with an artery, unlike the deep veins, which are typically associated with an arte ...

Path

From its origin it runs obliquely downward and backward, beneath the zygomaticus major muscle and zygomatic head of the

quadratus labii superioris The levator labii superioris (pl. ''levatores labii superioris'', also called quadratus labii superioris, pl. ''quadrati labii superioris'') is a muscle of the human body used in facial expression. It is a broad sheet, the origin of which exten ...

, descends along the anterior border and then on the superficial surface of the masseter, crosses over the body of the mandible, and passes obliquely backward, beneath the platysma and

cervical fascia The cervical fascia is fascia found in the region of the neck. It usually refers to the deep cervical fascia. However, there is also a superficial cervical fascia Superficial cervical fascia is a thin layer of subcutaneous connective tissue that ...

, superficial to the

submandibular gland The paired submandibular glands (historically known as submaxillary glands) are major salivary glands located beneath the floor of the mouth. They each weigh about 15 grams and contribute some 60–67% of unstimulated saliva secretion; on stimula ...

, the

digastricus The digastric muscle (also digastricus) (named ''digastric'' as it has two 'bellies') is a small muscle located under the jaw. The term "digastric muscle" refers to this specific muscle. However, other muscles that have two separate muscle bellie ...

and stylohyoideus muscles.

Clinical significance

Thrombophlebitis of the facial vein, (inflammation of the facial vein with secondary clot formation) can result in pieces of an infected clot extending into the cavernous sinus, forming thrombophlebitis of the cavernous sinus. Infections may spread from the facial veins into the

dural venous sinuses The dural venous sinuses (also called dural sinuses, cerebral sinuses, or cranial sinuses) are venous channels found between the endosteal and meningeal layers of dura mater in the brain. They receive blood from the cerebral veins, receive cereb ...

. Infections may also be introduced by facial lacerations and by bursting pimples in the areas drained by the facial vein.

Additional images

Image:Gray515.png, Bloodvessels of the eyelids seen from the front Image:Lateral head anatomy detail.jpg, Anatomy of the human head seen from the side Image:Head ap anatomy.jpg, Anatomy of the human head seen from the front Image:Slide5yyyy.JPG,

Dissected Dissection (from Latin ' "to cut to pieces"; also called anatomization) is the dismembering of the body of a deceased animal or plant to study its anatomical structure. Autopsy is used in pathology and forensic medicine to determine the cause ...

human head (facial vein labeled) Image:Slide5BBB.JPG,

human head (facial vein labeled)

References

External links

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Figure 47-5
{{Authority control Veins of the head and neck Vein