The pterygoid plexus (;Entry "pterygoid"
in
Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary
'. from

Greek Greek may refer to: Greece Anything of, from, or related to Greece, a country in Southern Europe: *Greeks, an ethnic group. *Greek language, a branch of the Indo-European language family. **Proto-Greek language, the assumed last common ancestor ...

''pteryx'', "wing" and ''eidos'', "shape") is a

venous plexus In vertebrates, a venous plexus is a normal congregation anywhere in the body of multiple veins. A list of venous plexuses: * Basilar plexus * Batson venous plexus * Internal vertebral venous plexuses * Pterygoid plexus * Submucosal venous ...

of considerable size, and is situated 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

lateral pterygoid muscle The lateral pterygoid muscle (or external pterygoid muscle) is a muscle of mastication. It has two heads. It lies superior to the medial pterygoid muscle. It is supplied by pterygoid branches of the maxillary artery, and the lateral pterygoid ner ...

, and partly between the two pterygoid muscles.

Tributaries received

It receives tributaries corresponding with the 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 ...

. Thus it receives the following veins: * sphenopalatine * middle meningeal * deep temporal (anterior & posterior) * pterygoid * masseteric * buccinator * alveolar * some palatine veins (palatine vein which divides into the greater and lesser palatine v.) * a branch which communicates with the

ophthalmic vein Ophthalmic veins are 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, bot ...

through the

inferior orbital fissure The inferior orbital fissure is formed by the sphenoid bone and the maxilla. It is located posteriorly along the boundary of the floor and lateral wall of the orbit. It transmits a number of structures, including: * the zygomatic branch of the m ...

* infraorbital vein

Relations

This plexus communicates freely with the

anterior facial vein Standard anatomical terms of location are used to unambiguously describe the anatomy of animals, including humans. The terms, typically derived from Latin or Greek roots, describe something in its standard anatomical position. This position prov ...

; it also communicates with the

cavernous sinus The cavernous sinus within the human head is one of the dural venous sinuses creating a cavity called the lateral sellar compartment bordered by the temporal bone of the skull and the sphenoid bone, lateral to the sella turcica. Structure The cave ...

, by branches through the foramen Vesalii, foramen ovale, and

foramen lacerum The foramen lacerum ( la, lacerated piercing) is a triangular hole in the base of skull. It is located between the sphenoid bone, the apex of the petrous part of the temporal bone, and the basilar part of the occipital bone. Structure The for ...

. Due to its communication with the cavernous sinus, infection of the superficial face may spread to the cavernous sinus, causing

cavernous sinus thrombosis The cavernous sinus within the human head is one of the dural venous sinuses creating a cavity called the lateral sellar compartment bordered by the temporal bone of the skull and the sphenoid bone, lateral to the sella turcica. Structure The cave ...

. Complications may include edema of the eyelids, conjunctivae of the eyes, and subsequent paralysis of cranial nerves which course through the cavernous sinus. The pterygoid plexus of veins becomes the maxillary vein. The maxillary vein and 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, ...

later join to become 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 ...

. The posterior branch of the retromandibular vein and posterior auricular vein then form the

external jugular vein The external jugular vein receives the greater part of the blood from the exterior of the cranium and the deep parts of the face, being formed by the junction of the posterior division of the retromandibular vein with the posterior auricular vein ...

, which empties into the

subclavian vein The subclavian vein is a paired large vein, one on either side of the body, that is responsible for draining blood from the upper extremities, allowing this blood to return to the heart. The left subclavian vein plays a key role in the absorption ...

References

External links

* - "Infratemporal Fossa: The Pterygoid Plexus of Veins"
Pterygoid Plexus
Veins of the head and neck {{circulatory-stub