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Carotid triangle

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Carotid triangle
Carotid triangle
Details
Identifiers
Latintrigonum caroticum
TA98A01.2.02.004
TA2235
FMA61598
Anatomical terminology

The carotid triangle (or superior carotid triangle) is a portion of the anterior triangle of the neck.

Anatomy

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Boundaries

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It is bounded:

Roof

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The roof is formed by:

Floor

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The floor is formed by (parts of) the:

Contents

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Arteries

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Veins

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Nerves

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Superficial to the carotid sheath lies the hypoglossal nerve, and ansa cervicalis of the cervical plexus.

The hypoglossal nerve crosses both the internal and external carotids, curving around the origin of the occipital artery.

Within the sheath, between the artery and vein, and behind both, is the vagus nerve; behind the sheath, the sympathetic trunk.

On the lateral side of the vessels, the accessory nerve runs for a short distance before it pierces the Sternocleidomastoideus; and on the medial side of the external carotid, just below the hyoid bone, the internal branch of the superior laryngeal nerve may be seen; and, still more inferiorly, the external branch of the same nerve.

Other

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The superior portion of the larynx and inferior portion of the pharynx are also found in the anterior portion part of this space.

See also

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Additional images

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References

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Public domain This article incorporates text in the public domain from page 564 of the 20th edition of Gray's Anatomy (1918)

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