The Mandibular Landmarks about the Facial Artery and Vein with Multidetector Computed Tomography Angiography (MDCTA): an Anatomical and Radiological Morphometric Study

Abstract

SUMMARY:The aim of this study was to investigate the course of the facial vessels according to several mandibular landmarks in living individuals using multidetector computed tomography angiography (MDCTA) to determine these related to sex and side. This study was conducted in the Radiology Department, Meram Faculty of Medicine, Necmettin Erbakan University (Konya, Turkey). In total, sixty faces from 30 specimens (15 males and 15 females) with symptoms and signs of vascular disease were evaluated for the facial vessels by MDCTA scan. The facial vessel parameters were measured according to the reference points (mandibular angle, mental protuberance, mental foramen and facial midline). The distance from the point at which the facial artery first appears in the lower margin of the mandible to the mandibular angle for right and left facial artery were observed as 3.53±0.66 cm and 3.31±0.73 cm in males, respectively. These distances were determined as 2.91±0.52 cm and 3.35±0.48 cm in females. MDCTA is a new, powerful, safe and noninvasive test to demonstrate the vasculature of the head. Bony structures and neighboring vessel morphology can be evaluated by this technique in cases of trauma with suspected vessel injuries and when considering patient selection for flap surgery.

The Anatomy of the Facial Vein: Implications for Plastic, Reconstructive, and Aesthetic Procedures

“…9 These results are in line with a previous publication likewise using venous contrasting and computed tomographic imaging where the external nasal vein was likewise identified in the same location. 28 In regard to the lateral boundary of the premaxillary space, our results confirm the findings by Wong et al, 9 as here the lateral boundary is formed by the angular vein, which lies superficial to the levator labii superioris alaeque nasi muscle but deep to the orbicularis oculi muscle. With respect to the structural limitation of the sub-orbicularis oculi fat and the deep lateral cheek fat, our results are in line with a previous report by Cotofana et al, 11 where the facial vein forms the medial boundary of both.…”