Maxillary artery

Looks like

The larger end branch of the external carotid, starting behind the jaw joint and running deep into the space behind the upper jaw.

What it does

Supplies the jaws, teeth, chewing muscles, palate, nose and the brain's outer covering.

Keeping it well

Its nasal branches cause stubborn back-of-nose bleeds; persistent ones may need tying off or blocking the artery via a catheter.

Its parts

• Middle meningeal artery
• Anterior deep temporal artery
• Artery of pterygoid canal
• Buccal artery
• Descending palatine artery
• Inferior alveolar artery
• Infra-orbital artery
• Posterior deep temporal artery
• Posterior lateral nasal branches of sphenopalatine artery
• Posterior septal branches of sphenopalatine artery
• Posterior superior alveolar artery

Related conditions

• Carotid artery stenosis
• High blood pressure
• High cholesterol
• Hypothermia & frostbite
• Kawasaki disease
• Metabolic syndrome
• Orthostatic hypotension & POTS
• Peripheral artery disease
• Phaeochromocytoma & hyperaldosteronism
• Pre-eclampsia
• Raynaud's phenomenon
• Sepsis
• Shock (circulatory failure)
• Takayasu arteritis
• Vasculitis (GCA & others)