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Occipital artery

Dr Yuranga Weerakkody and Dr Frank Gaillard et al.

The occipital artery, a posterior branch of the external carotid artery,opposite the external maxillary, near the lower margin of the posterior belly of the digastic muscle, and ends in the posterior part of the scalp.

Summary

origin : branch of the external carotid artery at the level of the posterior belly of digastric
course :ascends posteriorly towards the occiput
branches :
- sternocleidomastoid branch
- auricular branch
- mastoid branch
- descending branches
- occipital branches
termination : scalp over occipital bone
key relationships : terminal portion accompanied by the greater occipital nerve