Superficial Temporal Artery, Lateral View

Description

Running superiorly from the parotid region, the superficial temporal artery emerges behind the neck of the mandible and ascends anterior to the auricle, then crosses the root of the zygomatic arch to enter the temporal scalp. Its frontal and parietal branches track within the superficial temporal fascia, lying superficial to the temporalis muscle and deep to the subcutaneous tissues of the temple. Nearby lateral head landmarks include the zygomatic arch, mandible, and external ear, with the masseter inferiorly and the temporalis fanning over the temporal fossa. Red arterial channels and paired blue superficial temporal veins map the vascular plane over the lateral face and scalp. For procedural anatomy, this lateral view clarifies where the superficial temporal artery becomes palpable just anterior to the tragus and superior to the zygomatic arch, a common site for compression in scalp lacerations and for cannulation in microvascular free-flap surgery. It also places the vessel in the same corridor as the temporal branches of the facial nerve as they cross the zygomatic arch toward frontalis, a relationship that drives incision planning in rhytidectomy and parotid surgery. Surface anatomy matters here. Use this illustration for head and neck anatomy teaching (arterial supply of the scalp, temporalis fascia layers, and parotid region), for surgical atlases describing temporal artery biopsy in suspected giant cell arteritis, and for clinical education on safe filler planes in the temple to reduce risk of intra-arterial injection and skin necrosis. Anatomical accuracy verified by SciePro's Medical Advisory Board.