17 The occipital artery

17.1 Anatomy

17.1.1 Origin

The occipital artery arises in the neck anterior to the mastoid protuberance from the posterior aspect of the carotid. It branches from the carotid just a little above the facial artery (Fig. 17.1).

Fig. 17.1 Occipital artery.

17.1.2 Course

The occipital artery passes posteriorly, parallel and deep to the posterior belly of the digastric muscle, and passes in a groove on the temporal bone medial to the mastoid process. It then runs towards the external occipital protuberance where it ascends the scalp. It perforates the trapezius muscle and the nuchal fascia between the cranial insertions of the trapezius and sternocleidomastoid muscles.

17.1.3 Collaterals

The occipital artery has these branches:

• muscular branches supplying the sternocleidomastoid, digastric, splenius capitis, and semispinalis capitis of the head

• stylomastoid artery that accompanies the facial nerve in the stylomastoid foramen to run in the tympanum and mastoid cavities, as well as the semicircular canals

• meningeal artery supplying the dura mater of the mastoid and the diploë. The artery penetrates the mastoid foramen, usually accompanied by an emissary vein.

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