The complete anatomy of the transverse facial artery: a computed tomography angiography analysis.

BACKGROUND

The transverse facial artery (TFA) supplies blood to various structures of the lateral face, including the parotid gland, parotid duct, masseter muscle, and facial skin. Knowledge about its anatomy is of utmost importance in various plastic and reconstructive procedures.

MATERIAL AND

METHODS

The results of 55 (110 hemifaces) consecutive patients who underwent head and neck computed tomography angiography (CTA) in the Department of Radiology of the Jagiellonian University Medical College, Cracow, Poland, were evaluated in July 2022.

RESULTS

The TFA was found to originate from the STA (superficial temporal artery) in 84 of the cases (95.5%), whereas from ECA (external carotid artery) only in 4 of the cases (4.5%). The median length of the TFA was found to be 43.39 mm (LQ = = 38.53; UQ = 46.37). The median TFA diameter, at its origin, was established at 2.26 mm (LQ = 1.93; UQ = 2.54). The median TFA cross-sectional area, at its origin, was found to be 2.54 mm (LQ = 1.67; UQ = 3.10).

CONCLUSIONS

The TFA plays an important role in the arterial blood supply to the face, and the present study has demonstrated its stable prevalence in the lateral face region. The most frequent origin of the artery was from the STA; however, it also originated from the ECA in some cases. Moreover, the topographic relationships between the TFA and nearby arteries and anatomical landmarks were measured and analysed.