Superficial temporal vein

Vein: Superficial temporal vein
Veins of the head and neck. ("Sup. Temp." labeled at center, anterior to the ear.)
Bloodvessels of the eyelids, front view. (13, at left, is branch of the superficial temporal vein.)
Latin venae temporales superficiales
Gray's subject #167 645
Drains from    temple, scalp
Drains to retromandibular vein
Artery superficial temporal artery

The superficial temporal vein is a vein of the side of the head.

Contents

Path

It begins on the side and vertex of the skull in a plexus which communicates with the frontal vein and supraorbital vein, with the corresponding vein of the opposite side, and with the posterior auricular vein and occipital vein.

From this network frontal and parietal branches arise, and unite above the zygomatic arch to form the trunk of the vein, which is joined by the middle temporal vein emerging from the temporalis muscle.

It then crosses the posterior root of the zygomatic arch, enters the substance of the parotid gland, and unites with the internal maxillary vein to form the posterior facial vein.

Tributaries

The superficial temporal vein receives in its course the following:

Additional images

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 As such, some of the information contained within it may be outdated.