The pterygoid venous plexus is a network of veins, which is situated in the infratemporal fossa and is related to surrounding veins and several anatomical structures.

This plexus is located partly between the temporal muscle and lateral pterygoid muscle, and partly between the lateral and medial pterygoid muscles.

The pterygoid plexus surrounds the pterygoid segment of the maxillary artery. Therefore, tributaries of the pterygoid plexus travel parallel to branches of the maxillary artery, and they include the following veins:

Sphenopalatine vein
Deep temporal vein
Pterygoid vein
Masseteric vein
Buccal ven
Alveolar vein
Greater palatine vein
Inferior ophthalmic vein
Middle meningeal vein

The veins forming the pterygoid plexus collect deoxygenated blood from the palate, nasal cavity, paranasal sinuses, nasopharynx, and the auditory tube.

Anteriorly, the veins of the plexus converge to form the maxillary vein, which flows into the retromandibular vein.

The pterygoid venous plexus also communicates with the cavernous sinus, inferior ophthalmic vein and facial vein. These communications are clinically significant because of the potential of an infection to spread through the venous system to the cranial cavity.

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Pterygoid venous plexus