Maxillary veins

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Vein: Internal maxillary vein

Veins of the head and neck. (Internal maxillary vein visible at center.)
Latin	venae maxillares
Gray's	subject #167 646
Drains to	retromandibular vein
Artery	maxillary artery
Dorlands / Elsevier	v_05/12850911

The maxillary veins (internal maxillary vein in older sources) consist of a short trunk which accompanies the first part of the internal maxillary artery.

It is formed by a confluence of the veins of the pterygoid plexus, and passes backward between the sphenomandibular ligament and the neck of the mandible, and unites with the superficial temporal vein to form the retromandibular vein.

This article was originally based on an entry from a public domain edition of Gray's Anatomy. As such, some of the information contained herein may be outdated. Please edit the article if this is the case, and feel free to remove this notice when it is no longer relevant.

v • d • e

Veins (emissary, jugular and others) and sinuses of head and neck (drainage patterns can vary)

to external jugular

retromandibular: maxillary • superficial temporal (anterior auricular)

posterior auricular

transverse cervical - suprascapular - anterior jugular (jugular venous arch)

to internal jugular

Diploic/brain	cerebral: superior • middle • inferior • great • internal (basal, superior thalamostriate) cerebellar: superior • inferior To COS: superior sagittal • straight (inferior sagittal) • occipital To CS: sphenoparietal • intercavernous superior ophthalmic (ethmoidal, central retinal, nasofrontal) • inferior ophthalmic • vorticose veins To IJV: sigmoid: transverse (petrosquamous) • superior petrosal inferior petrosal (basilar plexus, internal auditory veins) - condylar

Other	common facial • facial (frontal, supraorbital, angular, superior labial, inferior labial, deep facial) • pterygoid plexus lingual (dorsal lingual, deep lingual, sublingual) • pharyngeal • thyroid (superior/superior laryngeal, middle)