ret·ro·man·dib·u·lar vein

[TA]

vein formed by the union of the superficial temporal and maxillary veins in front of the ear; it runs posterior to the ramus of the mandible through the parotid gland, and unites with the posterior auricular vein to form the external jugular vein; it usually has a large communicating branch with the facial vein.

Synonym(s): vena retromandibularis [TA], posterior facial vein, temporomaxillary vein, vena facialis posterior

Farlex Partner Medical Dictionary © Farlex 2012

ret·ro·man·dib·u·lar vein

(ret'rō-man-dib'yū-lăr vān) [TA]

Formed by the union of the superficial temporal and maxillary veins in front of the ear; runs posterior to the ramus of the mandible through the parotid gland, and unites with the posterior auricular vein to form the external jugular vein; it usually has a large communicating branch with the facial vein.

Medical Dictionary for the Health Professions and Nursing © Farlex 2012

ret·ro·man·dib·u·lar vein

(ret'rō-man-dib'yū-lăr vān) [TA]

Vein formed by union of superficial temporal and maxillary veins in front of ear; runs posterior to ramus of mandible through parotid gland, and unites with posterior auricular vein to form external jugular vein; usually has a large communicating branch with the facial vein.

Medical Dictionary for the Dental Professions © Farlex 2012

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References in periodicals archive

Onderog, "Morphology of the retromandibular vein in relation to the facial nerve in the parotid gland," Cells Tissues Organs, vol.

An Unusual Position of Retromandibular Vein in Relation to Facial Nerve: A Rare Case Report

(5) The etiology of retromandibular vein aneurysms are likely similar to those of other venous neck aneurysms and case reports suggest that venous aneurysms of the parotid gland tend to appear suddenly.

The mild diffuse dilatation of the retromandibular vein in Case 3 does not mimic a parotid mass on imaging and is shown to demonstrate the differing imaging appearance relative to the two ectasia cases.

Retromandibular vein ectasia

The standard anatomical description of the veins of the face is of superficial temporal vein uniting with maxillary vein within the substance of the parotid gland to form retromandibular vein. The retromandibular vein divides into anterior and posterior divisions before emerging out from the apex of the parotid gland.

Kopuz, described an unusual course of the facial vein which joined the retromandibular vein at a higher level in the parotid gland on the right side of the face Choudhry found that the termination of the facial vein in the external jugular vein occurs in 5% of the individuals.

A rare termination of left common facial vein into left subclavian vein. a case report/Terminacion rara de la vena facial comun izquierda en la vena subclavia izquierda. reporte de caso

In a study conducted on 89 dissected adult cadavers, the external jugular vein receives facial vein in 9% of the cases (3).The formation of external jugular vein by union of entire retromandibular vein and facial vein (4) and a case of facial vein continuing as external jugular vein has also been reported (5).

External jugular vein communicating with internal jugular vein--a case report

and Kasten bauer E.R (1995) stated that the facial nerve and its divisions were usually superficial to the retromandibular vein. Rajesh B.

Anatomical study on intra-parotid course of facial nerve and its terminal branches