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Ascending pharyngeal artery

Dr Yuranga Weerakkody and Dr Jeremy Jones et al.

The ascending pharyngeal artery, the smallest branch of the external carotid, is a long, slender vessel, deeply seated in the neck, beneath the other branches of the external carotid and under the stylopharyngeus.

It arises from the back part of the external carotid, near the carotid bifurcation and ascends vertically between the internal carotid and the side of the pharynx, to the under surface of the base of the skull, lying on the longus capitis.

Summary

origin : branch of the external carotid artery
course : vertically with ICA and to the side of pharynx
supply : base of skull; anastamosis with anterior and posterior cerebral circulations
termination : base of skull

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