The carotid triangles contain many important structures, including nerves, arteries and veins. The structures found within the carotid triangle are listed below.

NOTE: For better visualisation, the nerves are annotated on the right side and the blood vessels on the left side.

Arteries

The major artery located in the carotid triangle is:

Common carotid artery which divides into:
- Internal carotid artery
- External carotid artery

The following branches of the external carotid artery are also located within this space:

Superior thyroid artery
Lingual artery
Facial artery
Ascending pharyngeal artery
Occipital artery

Veins

Veins located in the carotid triangle include:

Internal jugular vein (lies on the lateral side of the common and internal carotid arteries)
Superior thyroid vein
Lingual veins
Common facial vein
Ascending pharyngeal vein
Occipital vein

Nerves

Several nervous structures are found within the carotid triangle, including:

Hypoglossal nerve (CN XII) - joined by fibers from the first cervical nerve (C1), as it leaves the skull.
Ansa cervicalis:
- The C1 - C3 motor nerves of the cervical plexus form a loop called the “ansa cervicalis” that innervates infrahyoid muscles in the muscular triangle, and the geniohyoid muscle (from the suprahyoid muscle group) in the submental triangle. The ansa cervicalis conists of two roots that form a loop near the tendon of the omohyoid.
  - The superior root of the ansa cervicalis (C1), the most anterior and superior of the two roots descends from the digastric muscle located between the internal jugular vein and carotid artery.
  - The inferior root of the ansa cervicalis (C2, C3) can be found lower and more posteriorly on the internal jugular vein.
Vagus nerve - descends in the posterior carotid sheath between the common carotid artery and the internal jugular vein. The nerve gives off a superior laryngeal nerve while descending through the carotid triangle. The superior laryngeal nerve divides further into two branches - the internal and external laryngeal nerves.

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