External Carotid Artery

1. Anatomy:
– The ECA is one of the two main divisions of the common carotid artery.
– It arises from the common carotid artery at the level of the thyroid cartilage.
– The ECA ascends within the carotid sheath in the lateral neck.
– It supplies blood to the neck, head, and face regions.

2. Branches:
– The ECA gives rise to several branches along its course:
– Superior thyroid artery
– Ascending pharyngeal artery
– Lingual artery
– Facial artery
– Occipital artery
– Posterior auricular artery
– Maxillary artery
– Superficial temporal artery
– Remember the mnemonic: “Some Anatomists Like Freaking Out Poor Medical Students” to recall these branches.

3. Clinical Implications:
– Carotid artery disease affecting the ECA can lead to symptoms such as:
– Numbness
– Tingling sensation
– Weakness on one side of the body
– Loss of vision over one eye
– One-sided facial weakness
– Speech difficulty 

References:

(1) External Carotid Artery | Anatomy | Branches | Geeky Medics. https://geekymedics.com/external-carotid-artery/.
(2) Carotid Artery Disease – What It Is, Diagnosis, Treatment – NUHS. https://www.nuhs.edu.sg/patient-care/find-a-condition/carotid-artery-disease.
(3) Carotid Artery Disease: Symptoms, Causes, Diagnosis, Treatment – WebMD. https://www.webmd.com/heart-disease/carotid-artery-disease-causes-symptoms-tests-and-treatment.
(4) Carotid artery disease – Symptoms and causes – Mayo Clinic. https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/carotid-artery-disease/symptoms-causes/syc-20360519.