Sonographic analysis of the facial artery and its surrounding tissues in the lower face

Abstract

Objectives: This study aimed to determine the depth of the facial artery from the skin to prevent complications related to noninvasive surgery and minimal invasive diagnosis. Methods: Forty volunteers (23 males and 17 females) were include in this study. Sonographic images were obtained horizontally. Three surface anatomical landmarks were used: the as antegonial notch (F1), 1 cm lateral to thecheilion (F3), and the nasal alare (F5). Two additional reference points were added at the midpoints between F1 and F3 (F2), and between F3 and F5 (F4). Results: The facial artery was observed at every fifth landmark in 40 cases. The depth of the facial artery was 9.3±2.2 mm at F1, 8.8±3.0 mm at F2, 6.9±3.5 mm at F3, 4.8±1.4 mm at F4, and 5.0±1.6 mm at F5. Conclusions: Further improvements to this study will provide additional data for the medical field. If a clinic has an ultrasound machine the structure should be evaluated by ultrasound before the procedure.