Remove ads
The artery of the pterygoid canal (or Vidian artery) is an artery in the pterygoid canal, in the head.
| Artery of the pterygoid canal | |
|---|---|
 Plan of branches of the maxillary artery (artery of the pterygoid canal visible at upper right) | |
| Details | |
| Precursor | Aortic arch 1 |
| Source | Maxillary artery |
| Identifiers | |
| Latin | arteria canalis pterygoidei |
| TA98 | A12.2.05.082 A12.2.06.006 |
| TA2 | 4454 |
| FMA | 85528 |
| Anatomical terminology | |
It usually arises from the external carotid artery,[1] but can arise from either the internal or external carotid artery or serve as an anastomosis between the two.[2]
The eponym, Vidian artery, is derived from the Italian surgeon and anatomist Vidus Vidius.[3]
In this case; the artery passes backward along the pterygoid canal with the corresponding nerve. It is distributed to the upper part of the pharynx and to the auditory tube, sending into the tympanic cavity a small branch which anastomoses with the other tympanic arteries.
It can end in the oropharynx.[4]
In this case; the artery passes inferiorly through foramen lacerum towards the oropharynx, with its main trunk continuing anteriorly through the pterygoid canal to anastomose with the pterygopalatine part of the maxillary artery.[5] The artery is small and inconstant, passing through the pterygoid canal in an opposite direction to its corresponding nerve.
Wikiwand in your browser!
Seamless Wikipedia browsing. On steroids.
Every time you click a link to Wikipedia, Wiktionary or Wikiquote in your browser's search results, it will show the modern Wikiwand interface.
Wikiwand extension is a five stars, simple, with minimum permission required to keep your browsing private, safe and transparent.
Remove ads