Common Carotid Artery

The original Editor -  <a href="User:Asma Alshehri">Asma Alshehri</a> 

Description:

It's a large elastic artery which provides the main blood supply to the head and neck. There is one common carotid artery on either sides of the body (Right and Left carotid arteries).Common carotid artery, https://www.kenhub.com/en/library/anatomy/common-carotid-artery (accessed 29 may 2017) <img src="/images/thumb/4/4a/Common_carotid_143812.png/100px-Common_carotid_143812.png" _fck_mw_filename="Common carotid 143812.png" _fck_mw_location="right" _fck_mw_width="100" _fck_mw_height="150" _fck_mw_type="border" alt="" class="fck_mw_border fck_mw_right" />

Although the right and left carotid arteries follow the same course through the neck, their origins are differ where the left common carotid arises directly from the aortic arch whereas on the right, the origin is from the brachiocephalic trunk.Common carotid artery, https://radiopaedia.org/articles/common-carotid-artery-2 (accessed 30 may 2017)

Course:

Posterior to sternoclavicular joint and lateral to thyroid and trachea.   <img src="/images/thumb/d/df/Course1_143841.png/120px-Course1_143841.png" _fck_mw_filename="Course1 143841.png" _fck_mw_location="center" _fck_mw_width="120" _fck_mw_height="180" _fck_mw_type="border" alt="" class="fck_mw_border fck_mw_center" />

Branches and divisions:

Each carotid artery branches into two divisions:

Note:

(The left common carotid artery can be thought of as having two distinct parts: thoracic and cervical while the right common carotid artery has only a cervical portion since it arises cranially)

Supply:

It mainly gives supply to the head and neck.

Clinical relevance:

References: