Stylomastoid Artery

Origin

Stylomastoid artery arises from the posterior auricular artery. It originates from a large superficial trunk which circulates the occipital artery zone in around 50% of occurrences and it originates straight from the distal external carotid artery into the remaining 50% of occurences.

Stylomastoid Artery

Insertion

• The stylomastoid artery travels via the stylomastoid foramen and origins within the facial canal, where it rapidly supplies divisions towards the chorda tympani.
• It carries onwards till it connects as well as anastomoses with the collateral facial nerve of the petrosal branch of the middle meningeal artery.
• An arterial arcade is created as a result inside the facial canal. The arcade of the facial nerve is easy to identify.

Relations

It protrudes totally on
• the petrous bone,
• the supratentorial (petrosal) as well as
• infratentorial (stylomastoid) branches
It meets at a right angle superiorly and posteriorly towards the radiolucency of the external auditory canal.