arteria carotis interna

[TA] internal carotid artery: divided into four parts: cervical (pars cervicalis), petrous (pars petrosa), cavernous (pars cavernosa), and cerebral (pars cerebralis); origin, common carotid; branches, numerous, including (petrous part) caroticotympanic arteries; (cavernous part) tentorial basal, tentorial marginal, meningeal, and cavernous branches, and inferior hypophysial artery; (cerebral part) ophthalmic, superior hypophysial, posterior communicating, anterior choroidal, anterior cerebral, and middle cerebral arteries; distribution, middle ear, brain, pituitary gland, orbit, choroid plexus. See illustration.