Quick Facts
Origin: Behind the ear, superficial to the temporal fascia.
Course: Descends behind the ear towards the lower pole of the parotid gland.
Tributaries: Stylomastoid vein.
Drainage: Assists with the draining of the muscles and skin of the scalp behind the ear.
Related parts of the anatomy
Origin
The posterior auricular vein arises as a single channel, from a small parietooccipital plexus of veins on the side of the head and superficial to the temporal fascia.
Course
The posterior auricular vein descends behind the ear and joins with the posterior division of the retromandibular vein to form the external jugular vein.
Tributaries
There are no named tributaries; however, the posterior auricular vein forms an anastomosis with tributaries of the occipital and the superficial temporal veins. Along its descent, the posterior auricular vein may also receive tributaries from the stylomastoid vein and from the auricle.
Structures Drained
The posterior auricular vein assists with the draining of the muscles and skin of the scalp behind the ear.
Learn more about this topic from other Elsevier products
Vein
A venous sinus is a vein with a thin wall of endothelium that is devoid of smooth muscle to regulate its diameter.
