Arterial Patterns of the Face in Camelidamorpha

Abstract

Arteries supplying the intermandibular, mental, masseteric, buccal, labial, and nasal regions of the face in selected species belonging to the suborder Tylopoda are described in this study. Analyses were conducted on a total of five species representing the family Camelidae based on 27 heads of cadaveric specimens, which were prepared by arterial injection with acetone‐dissolved stained vinyl super chloride or stained latex LBS3060. Vascularization of regions of the face was formed by the facial, sublingual, mental, transverse facial, buccal, and infraorbital arteries. It was confirmed that the linguofacial trunk is absent in Camelidae. In turn, in camels the deep temporal artery descended in the common trunk with the transverse facial artery, while in llamas and alpacas it was a direct branch of the maxillary artery. It was shown that the pattern of facial arteries in Camelidamorpha exhibits specific traits for this clade and differs from the system of these arteries in other artiodactyls. The described specific character in arterial vascularization of the face not only expands the spectrum of morphological characteristics in Camelidae, but it also provides information which may prove useful for clinical purposes in veterinary practice. Anat Rec, 301:2122–2127, 2018. © 2018 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Head arteries of the red squirrel (Sciurus vulgaris)

“…The facial artery branched off from the external carotid artery in the rhinos, tapirs (Kowalczyk and Frąckowiak 2017 ), Suinae, peccary, and hippos (Kowalczyk and Frąckowiak 2019 ), Giraffa, Rangifer (Zdun et al 2014 ), Botta's pocket gopher, Desmarest's spiny pocket mouse, spiny pocket mouse, long-tailed spiny pocket mouse, kangaroo rats (Brylski 1990 ) and rat (Greene 1968 ). In camels and llamas, the facial artery branched off by the common trunk with the caudal auricular artery (Kowalczyk et al 2018 ). In the Caprinae, Saiga, and Springbok representatives, there is no facial artery (Zdun et al 2014 ).…”

“…Then, the facial artery moves to the facial surface of the mandible near the notch for facial vessels in ruminants (Zdun et al 2014 ), Equidae, tapirs, and rhinos (Kowalczyk and Frąckowiak 2017 ) or in close to the angle of the mandible in Suidae (Kowalczyk and Frąckowiak 2019 ). In camels and llamas, this vessel moves on the mandible's caudal edge of the ramus (Kowalczyk et al 2018 ). Our study found that the passage point was located more rostrally from the notch for facial vessels.…”

“…In Suidae, this vessel is weak and ends in the masseter muscle (Kowalczyk and Frąckowiak 2019 ). In rhinos, tapirs, camels, and llamas inferior labial artery and angular artery of the mouth branched off from the facial artery Kowalczyk and Frąckowiak 2017 ; Kowalczyk et al 2018 ). In Equidae, rats, mice, and hamsters, this vessel is developed much more strongly, branching off the superior labial artery and supplying the nose (Greene 1968 ; Kowalczyk and Frąckowiak 2017 ; Popesko et al 2010 ).…”

“…In the llamas, the transverse facial artery and the superficial temporal artery create a common trunk with the inferior alveolar artery. In contrast, in camels, this common trunk also contains the deep temporal artery (Kowalczyk et al 2018 ). In domestic mammals, the transverse facial artery branched off from the superficial temporal artery (Nickel and Schwarz 1963 ; Popesko et al 2010 ).…”