Also arising from the posterior aspect of the external carotid artery is the occipital artery, which ascends in a posterior direction, passes through several layers of back musculature, and emerges to supply a large part of the posterior aspect of the scalp.
The third arterial branch supplying the scalp is the superficial temporal artery, a terminal branch of the external carotid artery that passes superiorly, just anterior to the ear, divides into anterior and posterior branches, and supplies almost the entire lateral aspect of the scalp.
Veins draining the scalp follow a pattern similar to the arteries:
The supratrochlear and supra-orbital veins drain the anterior part of the scalp from the superciliary arches to the vertex of the head (Fig. 8.74), pass inferior to the superciliary arches, communicate with the ophthalmic veins in the orbit, and continue inferiorly to participate in the formation of the angular vein, which is the upper tributary to the facial vein.
The superficial temporal vein drains the entire lateral area of the scalp before passing inferiorly to join in the formation of the retromandibular vein.
The posterior auricular vein drains the area of the scalp posterior to the ear and eventually empties into a tributary of the retromandibular vein.
The occipital vein drains the posterior aspect of the scalp from the external occipital protuberance and superior nuchal lines to the vertex of the head; deeper, it passes through the musculature in the posterior neck to join in the formation of the plexus of veins in the suboccipital triangle.
Lymphatic drainage of the scalp generally follows the pattern of arterial distribution.
The lymphatics in the occipital region initially drain to occipital nodes near the attachment of the trapezius muscle at the base of the skull (Fig. 8.75). Further along the pathway occipital nodes drain into upper deep cervical nodes. There is also some direct drainage to upper deep cervical nodes from this part of the scalp.
Lymphatics from the upper part of the scalp drain in two directions:
Posterior to the vertex of the head they drain to mastoid nodes (retro-auricular/posterior auricular nodes) posterior to the ear near the mastoid process of the temporal bone, and efferent vessels from these nodes drain into upper deep cervical nodes.
Anterior to the vertex of the head they drain to pre-auricular and parotid nodes anterior to the ear on the surface of the parotid gland.
Finally, there may be some lymphatic drainage from the forehead to the submandibular nodes through efferent vessels that follow the facial artery.
The orbits are bilateral structures in the upper half of the face below the anterior cranial fossa and anterior to the middle cranial fossa that contain the eyeball, the optic nerve, the extra-ocular muscles, the lacrimal apparatus, adipose tissue, fascia, and the nerves and vessels that supply these structures.
Seven bones contribute to the framework of each orbit (Fig. 8.76). They are the maxilla, zygomatic, frontal, ethmoid, lacrimal, sphenoid, and palatine bones. Together they give the bony orbit the shape of a pyramid, with its wide base opening anteriorly onto the face and its apex extending in a posteromedial direction. Completing the pyramid configuration are medial, lateral, superior, and inferior walls.
The apex of the pyramid-shaped bony orbit is the optic foramen, whereas the base (the orbital rim) is formed: superiorly by the frontal bone, medially by the frontal process of the maxilla, inferiorly by the zygomatic process of the maxilla and the zygomatic bone, and laterally by the zygomatic bone, the frontal process of the zygomatic bone, and the zygomatic process of the frontal bone.