Artery of the Pterygoid Canal

The pterygoid artery is a branch of the external carotid artery and supplies blood to the temporomandibular region, mastoid process, temporal muscle, muscles of the tongue, pharynx and larynx. In adults, it is located in the pit of the rocky entrance and accompanies the cavity of the stone nest; in children, it is slightly lower. It exits the canal through the common arterial trunk along with the nerve and mucous membrane. The moving part of the crossbar enters the infratemporal fossa. Trunks a. pterygoidea anterio et posterus diverge and join at an angle of about 20° behind the mandible in the facial artery.

The artery of the pterygoid canal is involved in the blood supply to several important anatomical areas of the head, such as the lateral part of the skull, parotid, greater palatine and lesser palatine cavities, hyoid bone, oral cavity, oropharynx and eustachian tubes.