Aynur Emine Cicekcibasi; Mehmet Tugrul Yilmaz; Demet Kiresi & Muzaffer Seker

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.

KEY WORDS: Facial artery; Facial vein; Multidetector computed tomography angiography; Mandibular landmarks; Anatomy.

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