Facial vein

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Vein: Facial vein
Veins of the head and neck. (Anterior facial labeled at right center, at cheek, to right of masseter.)
Dissection, showing salivary glands of right side. (Anterior facial vein labeled at bottom right.)
Latin vena facialis anterior
Gray's subject #167 645
Source angular vein
Drains to internal jugular vein
Artery facial artery
Dorlands
/ Elsevier
    
v_05/12850336

The anterior facial vein (facial vein) commences at the side of the root of the nose, and is a direct continuation of the angular vein where it also receives a small nasal branch. It lies behind the facial artery and follows a less tortuous course. It receives blood from the external palatine vein before it either joins the anterior branch of the retromandibular vein to form the common facial vein, or drains directly into the internal jugular vein.

[edit] Path

From its origin it runs obliquely downward and backward, beneath the Zygomaticus and zygomatic head of the Quadratus labii superioris, descends along the anterior border and then on the superficial surface of the Masseter, crosses over the body of the mandible, and passes obliquely backward, beneath the Platysma and cervical fascia, superficial to the submaxillary gland, the Digastricus and Stylohyoideus.

The facial vein has no valves, and its walls are not so flaccid as most superficial veins.

[edit] Additional images

[edit] External links

This article was originally based on an entry from a public domain edition of Gray's Anatomy. As such, some of the information contained herein may be outdated. Please edit the article if this is the case, and feel free to remove this notice when it is no longer relevant.

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