The deep temporal arteries are two

arteries 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. They ascend between the

temporalis muscle In anatomy, the temporalis muscle, also known as the temporal muscle, is one of the muscles of mastication (chewing). It is a broad, fan-shaped convergent muscle on each side of the head that fills the temporal fossa, superior to the zygomati ...

and the

pericranium The periosteum is a membrane that covers the outer surface of all bones, except at the articular surfaces (i.e. the parts within a joint space) of long bones. Endosteum lines the inner surface of the medullary cavity of all long bones. Structure ...

. They

anastomose An anastomosis (, plural anastomoses) is a connection or opening between two things (especially cavities or passages) that are normally diverging or branching, such as between blood vessels, leaf veins, or streams. Such a connection may be normal ...

with the

middle temporal artery In anatomy, the middle temporal artery is a major artery which arises immediately above the zygomatic arch, and, perforating the temporal fascia, gives branches to the temporalis, anastomosing with the deep temporal branches of the internal max ...

, among other vessels. They supply the temporalis muscle.

Structure

The deep temporal arteries consist of an anterior and a posterior artery. They are branches of the

maxillary artery The maxillary artery supplies deep structures of the face. It branches from the external carotid artery just deep to the neck of the mandible. Structure The maxillary artery, the larger of the two terminal branches of the external carotid artery, ...

, a terminal branch of the external carotid artery. They ascend between the

and the

Connections

The deep temporal arteries

with the

. The anterior artery communicates with the

lacrimal artery The lacrimal artery is an artery of the orbit. It is a branch of the ophthalmic artery. It accompanies the lacrimal nerve along the upper border of the lateral rectus muscle, travelling forward to reach the lacrimal gland. It supplies the lacri ...

by means of small branches which perforate the

zygomatic bone In the human skull, the zygomatic bone (from grc, ζῠγόν, zugón, yoke), also called cheekbone or malar bone, is a paired irregular bone which articulates with the maxilla, the temporal bone, the sphenoid bone and the frontal bone. It is s ...

and greater wing of the sphenoid bone. It may also communicate with the ophthalmic artery, a branch of the internal carotid artery.

Function

The deep temporal arteries supply the

Clinical significance

The deep temporal arteries may be affected by

giant cell arteritis Giant cell arteritis (GCA), also called temporal arteritis, is an inflammatory autoimmune disease of large blood vessels. Symptoms may include headache, pain over the temples, flu-like symptoms, double vision, and difficulty opening the mouth. ...

. This may be diagnosed using magnetic resonance imaging.

Other animals

The deep temporal arteries are found in other animals, including dogs.

References

External links

* () Arteries of the head and neck {{Portal bar, Anatomy