The maxillary vein, or internal maxillary vein, is a

vein Veins are blood vessels in humans and most other animals that carry blood towards the heart. Most veins carry deoxygenated blood from the tissues back to the heart; exceptions are the pulmonary and umbilical veins, both of which carry oxygenat ...

of the head. It is a short trunk which accompanies the first part 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, ...

. It is formed by a confluence of the veins of the

pterygoid plexus The pterygoid plexus (;Entry "pterygoid"
in

and the interpterygoid

emissary vein The emissary veins connect the extracranial venous system with the intracranial venous sinuses. They connect the veins outside the cranium to the venous sinuses inside the cranium. They drain from the scalp, through the skull, into the larger men ...

, and passes posteriorly between the

sphenomandibular ligament The sphenomandibular ligament (internal lateral ligament) is one of the three ligaments of the temporomandibular joint. It is situated medially to - and generally separate from - the articular capsule of the joint. Superiorly, it is attached to the ...

and the neck of the

mandible In anatomy, the mandible, lower jaw or jawbone is the largest, strongest and lowest bone in the human facial skeleton. It forms the lower jaw and holds the lower teeth in place. The mandible sits beneath the maxilla. It is the only movable bone ...

. It unites with the

superficial temporal vein The superficial temporal vein is a vein of the side of the head. It begins on the side and vertex of the skull in a network of veins which communicates with the frontal vein and supraorbital vein, with the corresponding vein of the opposite side, a ...

to form the

retromandibular vein The retromandibular vein (temporomaxillary vein, posterior facial vein) is a major vein of the face. Anatomy Origin The retromandibular vein is formed by the union of the superficial temporal and maxillary veins. Course It descends in th ...

Structure

The maxillary vein is a short trunk which accompanies the first part of the

. It is formed from the merging of the veins of the

pterygoid plexus The pterygoid plexus (;Entry "pterygoid"
in

, and the interpterygoid

. It passes posteriorly between the

and the neck of the mandible. It unites with the

. It drains into the

( posterior facial vein). The maxillary vein anastomoses with the retroglenoid vein.

Development

The maxillary vein may be the embryological origin of the

central retinal vein The central retinal vein (retinal vein) is a vein that drains the retina of the eye. It travels backwards through the centre of the optic nerve accompanied by the central retinal artery before exiting the optic nerve together with the central re ...

History

The maxillary vein may also be known as the internal maxillary vein.

Other animals

The maxillary vein is found in many other mammals.

Additional images

File:Head ap anatomy.jpg, Head anatomy anterior view

References

{{circulatory-stub Veins of the head and neck