Accessory meningeal artery

The accessory meningeal artery (also accessory branch of middle meningeal artery, pterygomeningeal artery, small meningeal or parvidural branch) is a branch of the maxillary artery that ascends through the foramen ovale to enter the cranial cavity and supply the dura mater of the floor of the middle cranial fossa and of the trigeminal cave, and to the trigeminal ganglion (representing the main source of artierial blood for this ganglion).[1]

Accessory meningeal artery
Plan of branches of maxillary artery (accessory meningeal visible top left)
Plan of branches of maxillary artery
Details
SourceMaxillary artery
SuppliesMeninges
Identifiers
Latinramus accessorius arteriae meningeae mediae
TA98A12.2.05.062
TA24432
FMA79467 49715, 79467
Anatomical terminology

Structure

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Variation

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The artery sometimes instead arises from the middle meningeal artery.[citation needed]

Nomenclature

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Only about 10% of the blood flowing through this artery reaches intracranial structures.[2] The remaining blood flow is dispersed to extracranial structures around the infratemporal fossa.[citation needed]

Reflecting this fact, Terminologia Anatomica lists entries for both "accessory branch of middle meningeal artery" and "pterygomeningeal artery".[3]

References

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  1. ^ Sinnatamby, Chummy S. (2011). Last's Anatomy (12th ed.). p. 363. ISBN 978-0-7295-3752-0.
  2. ^ Vitek J (1989). "Accessory meningeal artery: an anatomic misnomer". AJNR Am J Neuroradiol. 10 (3): 569–73. PMID 2501989.
  3. ^ Federative Committee on Anatomical Termi (1998). Terminologia Anatomica: International Anatomical Terminology. Thieme Stuttgart. ISBN 3-13-114361-4.
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