Common Carotid Artery: Anatomy

Common Carotid Artery: Anatomy

Describe the origin, course and termination of Internal Carotid Artery. List its parts and their branches.
Answer.

Internal Carotid Artery Origin, course and termination

• It begins as one of the two terminal branches of common carotid artery at the upper border of the thyroid cartilage.
• It enters the cranial cavity through the carotid canal and foramen lacerum.
• In the cranial cavity, it traverses through the cavernous sinus and finally terminates at the base of brain by dividing into anterior and middle cerebral arteries.

Internal Carotid Artery Parts and branches

• Cervical part:
  • No branch
• Petrous part:
  • Caroticotympanic branches to the middle ear
  • Pterygoid branch, which enters the pterygoid canal
• Cavernous part:
  • Cavernous branches to the wall of cavernous sinus and trigeminal ganglion
  • Hypophyseal branches to the hypophysis cerebri
  • Meningeal branches
• Cerebral part