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 1 Path 2 Tributaries 3 Additional images 4 External links

[edit] 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.

[edit] Tributaries

The superficial temporal vein receives in its course the following:

• some parotid veins
• articular veins from the temporomandibular joint
• anterior auricular veins from the auricula
• the transverse facial vein from the side of the face

[edit] Additional images

Lateral head anatomy detail

Head anatomy anterior view

[edit] External links

• lesson4 at The Anatomy Lesson by Wesley Norman (Georgetown University) (parotid2)
• Diagram at Tufts.edu
• Diagram at stchas.edu

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 As such, some of the information contained within it may be outdated.

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v • d • e Veins (emissary, jugular and others) of head and neck (drainage patterns can vary) (TA A12.3.04-06, GA 7.644) External jugular Retromandibular maxillary (pterygoid plexus) · superficial temporal (anterior auricular) Direct posterior auricular transverse cervical · suprascapular · anterior jugular (jugular venous arch) Internal jugular Diploic/brain Cerebral Superficial cerebral veins: superior · superficial middle · inferior Deep cerebral veins: great · internal (basal, deep middle, superior thalamostriate) Cerebellar superior · inferior Sinuses To COS superior sagittal · straight (inferior sagittal) · occipital To CS sphenoparietal · intercavernous superior ophthalmic (ethmoidal, central retinal, nasofrontal, vorticose veins) · inferior ophthalmic To IJV sigmoid: transverse (petrosquamous) · superior petrosal inferior petrosal (basilar plexus, internal auditory veins) · condylar Facial/common facial frontal · supraorbital · angular · superior labial · inferior labial · deep facial Direct lingual (dorsal lingual, deep lingual, sublingual) · pharyngeal · superior thyroid (superior laryngeal) · middle thyroid Brachiocephalic Vertebral occipital (occipital emissary) · suboccipital venous plexus deep cervical Direct inferior thyroid (inferior laryngeal) · thymic