Internal carotid artery

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Description:

The internal carotid arteries arise as one of the terminal branches of the common carotid artery at the superior level of the thyroid cartilage. The internal carotid artery ascends into the neck under the cover of the sternocleidomastoid and at the base of the skull it passes through the carotid foramen and canal to enter the cranial vault. This is the blood supply to the anterior aspect of the brain and eyeballs.