الفهرس 
Anatomy and Radiological AnatomyOnly 14 pages are availabe for public view
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Abstract
Objective: To define anatomical variations of the arterial blood supply of the nose and the pharynx which have clinical implications on the management of different otorhinolaryngology diseases.
Study design: Case series.
Methods: selective angiography of the internal and external carotid arteries (ICA& ECA) was performed for one hundred patients undergoing routine angiography for unrelated disorders of head & neck region. All procedures were done and analyzed by an intervention radiologist who searched for the following: ophthalmic artery origin, ethmoidal arteries origin, maxillary artery course, descending palatine origin and sphenopalatine branching pattern, lingual, facial and ascending pharyngeal arteries variations
Results: Different anatomical variations were documented. Ophthalmic artery originated from the middle meningeal artery in 1% of cases while ethmoidal arteries were absent in 5% of cases. The maxillary artery had two loops in horizontal plane in pterygopalatine fossa in 64% of cases where the descending palatine artery originated before the first loop or on its top. Sphenopalatine artery had different patterns of branching and may have more than two branches in 18% of cases. In 19% of cases, there were cross circulation between both sides through the nasal blood supply. Lingual, facial and ascending pharyngeal arteries variations are so common and represent one of challenging issues during management of different disorders.
Conclusion: Angiographic study of the nose and pharynx is a very helpful tool for accurate knowledge of anatomical variations of the arteries which has tredemonous effect on surgical approaches and techniques for management of different diseases in the head and neck region