Corpus: Ascending palatine artery

The ascending palatine artery is a vascular branch of the facial artery that ascends along the pharynx to the palate.

The ascending palatine artery arises near the origin of the facial artery. It runs between the styloglossus muscle and the stylopharyngeus muscle to the pharynx. On its course, it passes between the superior pharyngeal constrictor muscle and the medial pterygoid muscle, extending toward the base of the skull.

Close to the levator veli palatini muscle, the artery divides into two branches: The first branch follows the course of the muscle and supplies the soft palate and the palatine salivary glands by passing over the cranial edge of the superior pharyngeal constrictor muscle. It anastomoses with the vascular branch on the opposite side and with the descending palatine artery. The second branch pierces the superior pharyngeal constrictor muscle and supplies the palatine tonsil (tonsilla palatina) and the auditory tube. It anastomoses with the tonsillar artery and the ascending pharyngeal artery.