The posterior auricular vein is a vein of the head. It begins from a plexus with the occipital vein and the superficial temporal vein, descends behind the auricle, and drains into the external jugular vein.
Posterior auricular vein | |
---|---|
Details | |
Drains from | Scalp |
Drains to | External jugular vein |
Artery | Posterior auricular artery |
Identifiers | |
Latin | vena auricularis posterior |
TA98 | A12.3.05.046 |
TA2 | 4958 |
FMA | 50851 |
Anatomical terminology [edit on Wikidata] |
The posterior auricular vein begins upon the side of the head, in a plexus which communicates with the tributaries of the occipital vein and the superficial temporal vein. It descends behind the auricle.[1] It joins the posterior division of the retromandibular vein.[1] It drains into the external jugular vein.[1][2]
It receive the stylomastoid vein, and some tributaries from the cranial surface of the auricle.[1]
The posterior auricular vein may drain into the internal jugular vein or a posterior jugular vein if there are variations in the external jugular vein.[1]
Skin from the auriculomastoid region of the head may be grafted as a flap, keeping the posterior auricular vein with it.[1]
This article incorporates text in the public domain from page 646 of the 20th edition of Gray's Anatomy (1918)