A case of a large venous ring around the mandibular condyle

Anatomical details regarding venous drainage of the head and neck are an important matter for surgeons to avoid unnecessary complications such as hemorrhage. This report describes a case of the large venous ring around the mandibular condyle found in the cadaver. The left maxillofacial region of a latex-injected embalmed male cadaver (82 years of age at death) was dissected. The large two maxillary veins ran lateral to the capsule and superior to the mandibular notch and coursed posteroinferiorly to merge, and one trunk was formed at the posterior border of the ramus. It then received the superficial temporal vein superiorly to form the retromandibular vein (RMV). In addition, three maxillary veins were drained from the pterygoid venous plexus (PVP), medial to the ramus, one maxillary vein drained from the PVP into the RMV trunk, while two maxillary veins drained from the PVP into the anterior division of the RMV. All five large veins lateral and medial to the condyle drained from the PVP into the RMV. The knowledge of such an anatomical variation might prevent intraoperative bleeding in the temporomandibular joint region.