The maxillary vein is a short vein formed from the pterygoid venous plexus in the infratemporal fossa. It runs backward with the first part of the maxillary artery, passing between the neck of the mandible and the sphenomandibular ligament. Within the parotid gland it joins the superficial temporal vein to form the retromandibular vein.
| Origin | Posterior part of the pterygoid venous plexus |
|---|---|
| Course | Runs backward with the first part of the maxillary artery medial to the neck of the mandible and joins the superficial temporal vein inside the parotid gland |
| Branches |
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The maxillary vein lies just medial to the neck of the mandibular condyle, so it can bleed during open reduction of condylar fractures, condylectomy and temporomandibular joint replacement. Through its link with the pterygoid plexus, infection of the deep face can spread to the cavernous sinus. It is one of the deep veins considered in surgery of the parotid gland and infratemporal fossa.
Dissection medial to the condylar neck can injure the maxillary vein or the pterygoid plexus, causing brisk bleeding in a deep, narrow space.
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