Corpus: Deep auricular artery

The deep auricular artery is a vascular branch of the maxillary artery.

The deep auricular artery ascends through the glandular tissue of the parotid gland, passing superiorly behind the temporomandibular joint, where it gives off a small branch. It pierces the cartilage of the external acoustic meatus and branches into fine arterioles in the auditory canal and on the outer surface of the tympanic membrane. It anastomoses with the superficial temporal artery and the posterior auricular artery.

The deep auricular artery supplies arterial blood to parts of the temporomandibular joint, the parotid gland, the external ear canal, and the outer surface of the tympanic membrane.