Head and neck anatomy
Citation, DOI, disclosures and article data
Citation:
Jones J, Bell D, Niknejad M, et al. Head and neck anatomy. Reference article, Radiopaedia.org (Accessed on 15 Mar 2025) https://doi.org/10.53347/rID-10462
Permalink:
rID:
10462
Article created:
Disclosures:
At the time the article was created Jeremy Jones had no recorded disclosures.
View Jeremy Jones's current disclosures
Last revised:
Disclosures:
At the time the article was last revised Daniel J Bell had no financial relationships to ineligible companies to disclose.
View Daniel J Bell's current disclosures
Revisions:
12 times, by
6 contributors -
see full revision history and disclosures
Systems:
Sections:
Tags:
Synonyms:
- Anatomy of the head and neck
- Head and neck region
- Head & neck region
- H & N region
- Head and neck
- Head & neck
Head and neck anatomy is important when considering pathology affecting the same area. In radiology, the 'head and neck' refers to all the anatomical structures in this region excluding the central nervous system, that is, the brain and spinal cord and their associated vascular structures and encasing membranes i.e. the meninges. Many pathologies are confined to a particular area of the head and neck, making separating this section of the human body exceptionally useful.
This anatomy section promotes the use of the Terminologia Anatomica, the international standard of anatomical nomenclature.
On this page:
Superficial head and neck
Deep head and neck
The deep anatomy is separated by fascial planes into seven deep compartments of the head and neck:
- pharyngeal (superficial) mucosal space
- parapharyngeal space
- parotid space
- carotid space
- masticator space
- retropharyngeal space
- perivertebral space
Many of the disease states that affect the deep structures of the head and neck are confined to one compartment. However, some diseases are considered trans-spatial diseases.
Surgical triangles of the neck
There are several triangles of the neck that are more surgically focussed, first described from early dissection-based anatomical studies which predated cross-sectional anatomical description based on imaging:
References
- 1. Keith L. Moore, Arthur F. Dalley. Clinically Oriented Anatomy. ISBN: 9780683061413
- 2. Mcminn. Last's Anatomy. ISBN: 9780729537520
- 3. Robert H. Whitaker, Neil R. Borley. Instant Anatomy. ISBN: 9780632054039
- 4. Paul Butler, Adam Mitchell, Jeremiah C. Healy. Applied Radiological Anatomy. ISBN: 9780521766661
Incoming Links
Articles:
- Omohyoid muscle
- Sarcoma with BCOR genetic alteration
- CT neck (protocol)
- Anatomy curriculum
- Head and neck squamous cell carcinomas
- Carotid arteries
- Viscera
- Desmoplastic fibroblastoma
- CIC-rearranged sarcoma
- Dermatofibrosarcoma protuberans
- Atypical lipomatous tumour / well-differentiated liposarcoma (ALT/WDLPS)
- Medical abbreviations and acronyms (H)
- Hyoid bone
- External jugular vein
- Cervical lymph node groups
- Lipofibromatosis
- Sternothyroid muscle
- Kimura disease
Related articles: Anatomy: Head and neck
- skeleton of the head and neck
-
cranial vault
- scalp (mnemonic)
- fontanelle
-
sutures
- calvarial
- facial
- frontozygomatic suture
- frontomaxillary suture
- frontolacrimal suture
- frontonasal suture
- temporozygomatic suture
- zygomaticomaxillary suture
- parietotemporal suture (parietomastoid suture)
- occipitotemporal suture (occipitomastoid suture)
- sphenofrontal suture
- sphenozygomatic suture
- spheno-occipital suture (not a true suture)
- lacrimomaxillary suture
- nasomaxillary suture
- internasal suture
- basal/internal
- skull landmarks
- frontal bone
- temporal bone
- parietal bone
- occipital bone
- skull base (foramina)
-
facial bones
- midline single bones
- paired bilateral bones
- cervical spine
- hyoid bone
- laryngeal cartilages
-
cranial vault
- muscles of the head and neck
- muscles of the tongue (mnemonic)
- muscles of mastication
-
facial muscles
- epicranius muscle
- circumorbital and palpebral muscles
- nasal muscles
-
buccolabial muscles
- elevators, retractors and evertors of the upper lip
- levator labii superioris alaeque nasalis muscle
- levator labii superioris muscle
- zygomaticus major muscle
- zygomaticus minor muscle
- levator anguli oris muscle
- malaris muscle
- risorius muscle
- depressors, retractors and evertors of the lower lip
- depressor labii inferioris muscle
- depressor anguli oris muscle
- mentalis muscle
- compound sphincter
-
orbicularis oris muscle
- incisivus labii superioris muscle
- incisivus labii inferioris muscle
-
orbicularis oris muscle
- muscle of mastication
- modiolus
- elevators, retractors and evertors of the upper lip
- muscles of the middle ear
- orbital muscles
- muscles of the soft palate
- pharyngeal muscles
- suprahyoid muscles
- infrahyoid muscles
- intrinsic muscles of the larynx
- muscles of the neck
- platysma muscle
- longus colli muscle
- longus capitis muscle
- scalenus anterior muscle
- scalenus medius muscle
- scalenus posterior muscle
- scalenus pleuralis muscle
- sternocleidomastoid muscle
-
suboccipital muscles
- rectus capitis posterior major muscle
- rectus capitis posterior minor muscle
- obliquus capitis superior muscle
- obliquus capitis inferior muscle
- accessory muscles of the neck
- deep cervical fascia
-
deep spaces of the neck
- anterior cervical space
- buccal space
- carotid space
- danger space
- deep cervical fascia
- infratemporal fossa
- masticator space
- parapharyngeal space
- stylomandibular tunnel
- parotid space
- pharyngeal (superficial) mucosal space
- perivertebral space
- posterior cervical space
- pterygopalatine fossa
- retropharyngeal space
- suprasternal space (of Burns)
- visceral space
- surgical triangles of the neck
- orbit
- ear
- paranasal sinuses
- upper respiratory tract
- viscera of the neck
- blood supply of the head and neck
-
arterial supply
-
common carotid artery
- carotid body
- carotid bifurcation
- subclavian artery
- variants
-
common carotid artery
- venous drainage
-
arterial supply
- innervation of the head and neck
-
cranial nerves
- olfactory nerve (CN I)
- optic nerve (CN II)
- oculomotor nerve (CN III)
- trochlear nerve (CN IV)
-
trigeminal nerve (CN V) (mnemonic)
- trigeminal ganglion
- ophthalmic division
- maxillary division
- mandibular division
- abducens nerve (CN VI)
- facial nerve (CN VII)
-
vestibulocochlear nerve (CN VIII)
- vestibular ganglion (Scarpa's ganglion)
- glossopharyngeal nerve (CN IX)
- vagus nerve (CN X)
- (spinal) accessory nerve (CN XI)
- hypoglossal nerve (CN XII)
- parasympathetic ganglia of the head and neck
- cervical sympathetic ganglia
- greater occipital nerve
- third occipital nerve
-
cervical plexus
- muscular branches
- longus capitis
- longus colli
- scalenes
- geniohyoid
- thyrohyoid
-
ansa cervicalis
- omohyoid (superior and inferior bellies separately)
- sternothyroid
- sternohyoid
- phrenic nerve
- contribution to the accessory nerve (CN XI)
- cutaneous branches
- muscular branches
- brachial plexus
- pharyngeal plexus
-
cranial nerves
- lymphatic drainage of the head and neck
- embryological development of the head and neck
Related articles: Anatomy: General
- anatomic position
-
anatomic nomenclature
-
Terminologia Anatomica
- superseded nomenclature
-
Terminologia Anatomica
- anatomic variants
- labeled imaging anatomy cases
- regional anatomy
- systems anatomy
- endocrine system
- lymphatic system
- reticuloendothelial system
- nervous system
- systems based on location
- systems based on function
- somatic nervous system
-
autonomic nervous system
- sympathetic nervous system
- parasympathetic nervous system
-
autonomic ganglia and plexuses
- craniofacial
- cervical
- thoracic
- abdominopelvic
- coccygeal
- histology
- osteology
- skeleton
- bones
- macroscopic structure
- microscopic structure
- bone growth
- fetal bone formation
- developmental ossification
- tubulation
- bone types
- nutrient foramen
- joints
- muscles
- organs
- embryology
- skin
- blood vessels
Related articles: Anatomy: Radiological
The anatomy section is organized into seven expandable chapters based on regional body systems:
Unable to process the form. Check for errors and try again.