Carotid triangle

Video Description

Carotid triangle
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The carotid triangle is one of the paired triangles in the anterior triangle of the neck. The triangles of the neck are surgically focussed, first described from early dissection-based anatomical studies which predated cross-sectional anatomical description based on imaging (see deep spaces of the neck).

Boundaries
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superior: posterior belly of digastric
anteroinferiorly: superior belly of omohyoid
posterior: sternocleidomastoid
floor: thyrohyoid, hyoglossus, middle and inferior pharyngeal constrictors
roof: skin, superficial fascia, platysma, deep fascia

Contents
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Important vascular structures are found within this triangle. It contains the bifurcation of the common carotid artery into internal and external carotid arteries.

The internal carotid artery initially lies postero-laterally to the external carotid artery. It then becomes posterior to it.

Branches of the external carotid artery are found in the triangle including:

superior thyroid artery
lingual artery
facial artery
occipital artery
ascending pharyngeal artery
Corresponding veins to these branches drain into the internal jugular vein.

Crossing both the internal and external carotid artery is the hypoglossal nerve.

Nerves
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hypoglossal nerve
nerve to thyrohyoid from the C1 ventral ramus of the cervical plexus
superior root of ansa cervicalis
internal laryngeal nerve
external laryngeal nerve