Intrapetrous carotid artery branches: radioanatomic analysis.

Intrapetrous carotid artery branches were analyzed angiographically and anatomically. Such branches appeared in 23% of normal carotid angiograms and 38% of microsurgical dissections. These branches included the vidian artery and small periosteal arteries. The caroticotympanic artery was not clearly defined in either analysis. The vidian artery contributed to two separate vascular anastomoses: the first was within the mucosa of the posterior-superior nasopharynx, the latter was in the anterior nasopharynx via the artery of the pterygoid canal.