Walsh & Hoyt: External Carotid Artery

The ECA originates from the CCA opposite the upper border of the thyroid cartilage. It takes a slightly curved course to the neck of the mandible, where it divides into its two terminal branches: the superficial temporal and internal maxillary arteries. Lateral to it, in the lower part of its course, is the ICA. Posterior to it, near its origin, is the superior laryngeal nerve. The branches of the ECA are usually divided into four sets: anterior, posterior, ascending, and terminal.