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Aesth Plast Surg (2020) 44:1803–1810

https://doi.org/10.1007/s00266-020-01791-2

REVIEW NON-SURGICAL AESTHETIC

A Systematic Literature Review of the Middle Temporal Vein


Anatomy: ‘Venous Danger Zone’ in Temporal Fossa for Filler
Injections
Krishan Mohan Kapoor1,2,3 • Dario Bertossi4 • Chris Qiong Li5 • Deasy Indra Saputra6 •
Izolda Heydenrych7,8 • Reha Yavuzer9

Received: 23 January 2020 / Accepted: 13 May 2020 / Published online: 29 May 2020
Ó Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature and International Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery 2020

Abstract literature review is aimed at providing detailed information


Background Treatment of a sunken appearance of the about the course, depth, and size of the MTV to help
temporal region using injectable fillers is a popular pro- aesthetic practitioners in performing safer temporal fossa
cedure. The temporal fossa has very complex anatomy due filler injections. This information is imperative to delineate
to multiple vessels running in the different tissue layers. A the ‘venous danger zone’ in the temple region.
severe complication in the form of non-thrombotic pul- Methods The preferred reporting items for systematic
monary embolism (NTPE) can occur as a result of an reviews and meta-analyses guidelines were used for this
inadvertent injection in the middle temporal vein (MTV) review. A literature search was performed to find the
while performing temporal fossa filler procedures. There- articles providing details about the MTV anatomy and the
fore, in-depth knowledge and understanding of the MTV measurements related to its course and size.
anatomy are essential for successful and safer Results A review of the literature showed that the MTV
injectable procedures of the temporal fossa. displays a consistent course and depth in the temporal
Objectives While there have been many studies to describe region, with high variability in its diameter. The middle
the arteries in this region, there is limited information about temporal vein width varied between 0.5 and 9.1 mm in
the location and course of the middle temporal vein. This various studies. The middle temporal vein receives many
subfascial tributaries from the surface of the temporalis
muscle, and for most of its course runs in the fat pad
& Krishan Mohan Kapoor enclosed between superficial and deep layers of the deep
kmkapoor@gmail.com temporal fascia. A ‘venous danger zone,’ in the interfascial
1
planes of the temporal fossa, which contain the main part
Anticlock Clinic, #1508, Sector 33 D, Chandigarh 160022,
India of the MTV and its tributaries, has been proposed in this
2
paper.
Department of Plastic Surgery, Fortis Hospital, Mohali, India
Conclusions The temporal fossa filler procedures need
3
University of London, St George’s, London, UK great caution, and knowledge of the depth and course of the
4
Maxillofacial Plastic Surgery Unit, Policlinico G.B. Rossi, MTV is essential for avoiding NTPE.
University of Verona, Piazzale L.A. Scuro, 1037134 Verona, Level of Evidence III This journal requires that authors
Italy
assign a level of evidence to each article. For a full
5
Angel Swan Clinic, Shanghai, China description of these Evidence-Based Medicine ratings,
6
BMDerma Clinic, Jakarta, Indonesia please refer to the Table of Contents or the online
7
Cape Town Cosmetic Dermatology Centre, Central Park on Instructions to Authors www.springer.com/00266.
Esplanade, Century City, Cape Town, South Africa
8
Division of Dermatology, Faculty of Medicine and Health Keywords Middle temporal vein  Filler injection 
Sciences, Stellenbosch University, Stellenbosch, South Pulmonary embolism  Filler complications  Temporal
Africa fossa injection  Temporal fossa fillers  Temporal fossa
9
Rene Clinic, Istanbul, Turkey anatomy  Temple filler injection

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Abbreviations necessitates a detailed study of the middle temporal vein,


MTV Middle temporal vein the largest vein in the temporal region.
MTA Middle temporal artery The middle temporal vein (MTV) is a relatively lesser-
IFV Interfascial vein known blood vessel, receiving many tributaries, including
TFP Temporal fat pad the sentinel vein, and travels in the temporal fossa just
STF Superficial temporal fascia superficial to the deep layer of the deep temporal fascia.
DTF Deep temporal fascia Just at, or below the level of the zygomatic arch, it joins the
NTPE Nonthrombotic pulmonary embolism superficial temporal vein. Due to its large size and location,
PRISMA Preferred reporting items for systematic the MTV poses a risk for an accidental puncture during
reviews and meta-analyses temporal filling. Accidental injection in the MTV could
lead to bruising, hematoma, and more severe sequelae in
the form of non-thrombotic pulmonary embolism (NTPE).
Introduction
This paper aims to review the anatomy of this important
vessel in order to facilitate adequate precautions while
Age-related changes in the temporal region include thin-
performing temporal fossa filler injections.
ning of the temporalis muscle, loss of fat in the temporal
fat pads, and increasing concavity of the temporal bone
secondary to bone loss. Due to these changes, the tem-
Materials and Methods
poral area loses its youthful convex shape, and the bony
margins of the zygomatic arch and the lateral orbital rim
A systematic review of the published medical literature
become more prominent, causing a gaunt and wasted look
was performed to ascertain the anatomical details of the
[1]. For the correction of temporal hollowing, most pop-
middle temporal vein. The Preferred Reporting Items for
ular treatments include the use of various filler substances
Systematic Reviews and Meta-analyses, PRISMA, guide-
like autologous fat, hyaluronic acid, or poly L lactic acid
lines (Fig. 1) were used in this review. The articles selected
[2].
for this study included original articles, case reports, or
Although the arterial anatomy of the face and cutaneous
case series and experts’ opinions, published between Jan-
territory of each artery has been described in detail [3],
uary 1980 and December 2019, that investigated or dis-
there have been very few reports detailing the facial venous
cussed the anatomy of the MTV. Articles excluded from
anatomy [4, 5]. The arterial anatomy of the temporal fossa,
this study included non-English language papers, duplicate
for the avoidance of complications such as skin necrosis
papers, posters/abstracts, studies on animal models, and
[6, 7] and vision loss [8, 9] associated with accidental
papers without the MTV anatomy description. Articles
intraarterial injection, has been discussed in detail in the
with a description of the MTV but without any measure-
literature. Likewise, the need to avoid severe complications
ment related to the MTV were also excluded.
[10, 11] associated with inadvertent intravenous injection

Table 1 Comparison of various studies, describing middle temporal vein related measurements
References Year Specimen No. D (Min) (mm) D (Max) (mm) D (Avg) Point where MTV was measured

Longmore et al. [8] 1981 Cadaver 11 3.0 10.0 NA NA


Hassen et al. [9] 1986 Cadaver 30 1.0 3.5 1.9 mm At junction with STV
Beheiry et al. [10] 2007 Cadaver ? SB 44 0.5 1.0 NA NA
Yano et al. [11] 2012 Surgical case 12 0.9 2.5 1.93 mm Just before junction with STV
Yano et al. [12] 2014 Cadaver 60 0.6 4.0 1.88 mm Just before junction with STV
Jung et al. [13] 2014 Cadaver 18 2.0 9.1 5.1 mm Point where caliber is largest
Jiang et al. [7] 2015 Cadaver 20 2.66 3.42 3.02 mm At palpebral fissure level
Jiang et al. [7] 2015 Cadaver 20 1.66 2.34 2.06 mm At lateral orbital level
The data in the table show that the minimum diameter of the MTV was found to be 0.5 mm in a study that included stillborn also as specimen,
while in another study, the maximum diameter was found to be 10 mm
No. the number of the middle temporal vein samples studied, D (Min) minimum diameter of the middle temporal vein, D (Max) maximum
diameter of the middle temporal vein, D (Avg) average diameter of the middle temporal vein, SB stillbirths specimen, NA not available, MTV
middle temporal vein, STV superficial temporal vein

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MTV anatomy and at least one measurement related to the


MTV were selected for full-text review.

Screening

Titles and abstracts of the search results were screened, and


full-text manuscripts of the selected articles were down-
loaded. Relevant information about the anatomy of the
MTV was extracted from all selected articles.

Data Extraction and Analysis

The relevant data were extracted from selected full-text


articles by two authors (KMK and RY) independently
using data abstraction sheets. The data points were tabu-
lated after reading the full text of each selected article. Due
to a small number of selected articles, the findings were
presented in the form of tables and narrative summaries.

Results

An initial literature search for the anatomy of the middle


temporal vein yielded 793 entries, published from 1980 to
December 2019. After using the initial exclusion criteria,
16 articles describing the middle temporal vein anatomy
were selected. A further nine articles detailing middle
temporal vein anatomy without measurements were
excluded. Finally, seven articles [11–17] with details of the
middle temporal vein anatomy and with at least one mea-
Fig. 1 Dissection showing the middle temporal vein (MTV) and its surement related to it, were selected for this study. In total,
tributaries from the superficial and deep planes. The dissection also seven articles selected for review provided data from 195
shows the relationship of the middle temporal vein with the adjoining
bony landmarks, i.e., zygomatic arch, lateral orbital rim (LOR), MTV dissections (Table 1). The size and location estimates
temporal crest (TC) and their junction point (name proposed as from these studies provide the basis for proposing a ‘ve-
‘K point’). The middle temporal vein joins the superficial temporal nous danger zone’ in the temporal fossa. Cadaver dissec-
vein (STV), which is further joined by the maxillary vein to form the tion images, contributed by authors, were also used in the
retromandibular Vein (RMV). The superficial temporal artery (STA),
dissected from the temporoparietal fascia, is also seen along with the study to demonstrate various details of the middle temporal
facial artery (FA) and the facial vein (FV) (original, previously vein anatomy and its relations to surrounding structures.
unpublished picture of cadaver dissection, contributed by Krishan
Mohan Kapoor and Chris Qiong Li with permission for publication) Anatomy of the Middle Temporal Vein

The MTV arises from multiple smaller periorbital veins,


Literature Search and Data Sources
and it pierces the superficial and deep temporal fascia near
the upper end of the lateral orbital rim to run between the
PubMed and Google Scholar were searched for articles
two layers of the deep temporal fascia. The MTV receives
reporting on the topics of venous drainage and venous
the superciliary vein and the lacrimal vein via the sentinel
anatomy of the temporal fossa. The search was conducted
vein. Two to four venous tributaries from the superficial
using the following keywords: ‘‘middle temporal vein,’’
surface of the temporalis muscle, running parallel to its
‘‘temporal fossa veins,’’ ‘‘venous drainage of the temporal
muscle fibers, pass downward toward the main stem of the
fossa,’’ and ‘‘middle temporal vein anatomy’’ with a pub-
middle temporal vein. The number and pattern of the
lication time range of April 1980 to December 2019. The
tributaries may vary, but the position of the main trunk and
abstract and purpose of the articles found in the literature
the tributaries draining into it is quite similar [12].
search were reviewed. Articles describing the details of the

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The MTV has been described as a venous sinus found 2.0–9.1 mm), in an article by Jung et al. [17]. The above
constantly wrapped by the deep temporal fat pad between data demonstrate that size of the MTV could vary from 0.5
the layers of the deep temporal fascia. It is formed by the to 9.1 mm. The average length of the MTV was found to be
joining of multiple intramuscular veins from the temporalis 24 mm (range 10–60 mm) [13].
muscle at the level of the temporal process of the zygo-
matic bone, after which it pierces the deep layer of the deep Branching Pattern
temporal fascia to lie within the intermediate temporal fat
pad. This sinus pierces the superficial layer of the deep Four different distribution patterns of the MTV have been
temporal fascia, the loose areolar fascia, and the superficial found: Type 1 had only one major trunk; Type 2 had two
temporal fascia to join the superficial temporal fascial larger, parallel running major trunks that joined one major
venous plexus about 1 cm anterior and 2.5 cm above the trunk; Type 3 had one major trunk with one small
tragus [14]. descending branch joining the main trunk, and Type 4 had
As the MTV passes laterally, it pierces and runs for one major trunk with two smaller descending branches
several millimeters on the surface of the superficial layer of joining it [16]. A splitting and reuniting pattern of the
the deep temporal fascia. The MTV joins the STV about course of the MTV was also seen in 28% of cases [17].
1 cm below the upper border of the zygomatic root [15].
The STV, along with the maxillary vein draining the
pterygoid venous plexus, forms the posterior facial or Discussion
retromandibular vein (Fig. 1).
The use of filler injections for facial contour correction can
Relationship to Adjoining Structures lead to rare but serious complications such as vision loss,
cerebral embolism, and NTPE [9, 11]. As very few cases of
The average distance between the upper margin of the non-thrombotic pulmonary embolism after filler injection
zygomatic arch and the point where the MTV joins the have been reported in the literature, there is minimal
STV was found to be 12.7 ± 6.6 mm (range - 2–25 mm) information about the risk factors for this complication. In
by Yano et al. [16]. In another study, the MTV was found an article, three cases of pulmonary embolism with one
at 23.5 mm (15.7–33.6 mm) and 18.5 mm (12.5–23.5 mm) fatality have been reported after fat graft injection in the
above the zygomatic arch at the jugale and the zygion, temporal fossa [11].
respectively [17]. During its oblique course, the main trunk During corrective treatment of the temporal hollow,
of the MTV was found to be 52.0 ± 6.5 mm (range there is an absolute risk of a severe complication in the
42–65 mm) from the bony lateral canthus and form of a pulmonary embolism due to the presence of
12.0 ± 4.6 mm (range 5–22 mm) from the external audi- large-caliber veins. In the case of accidental intravenous
tory meatus [16]. filler injection in the temporal region, the right ventricle
can pump bloodborne filler emboli to the branches of the
Diameter and Length pulmonary artery, causing post-procedural non-thrombotic
pulmonary embolism [18, 19]. The patient may subse-
The mean caliber of the MTV was found to be quently present with acute respiratory failure, petechiae,
2.06 ± 0.17 mm at the point of origin and neurological features, or even coma [18]. Many cases of
3.02 ± 0.23 mm at the palpebral fissure plane by Jiang pulmonary embolism have been reported after the acci-
et al. [11]. The main trunk of the MTV can become dental injection of hyaluronic acid products in the venous
3.15 ± 0.13 mm at the level of the palpebral fissure [11]. circulation [20, 21]. Thorough knowledge of facial anat-
The diameter of the MTV was found to be 1.0–3.5 mm, omy is a prerequisite for safe outcomes after filler injec-
with a mean of 1.9 mm in another study [13]. The MTV tions. An awareness of topographically important blood
has also been described as a venous sinus with its length vessels and their relation to adjacent structures can help in
varying between 2.5 and 4 cm, while the width was vary- avoiding vascular complications associated with filler
ing between 0.5 and 1 cm [14]. While assessing the use- treatments [22, 23]. Knowledge of critical venous struc-
fulness of the MTV as a recipient vessel during free flap tures in treatment areas is essential to avoid the dreaded
surgery, the diameter of the MTV was found to be complication of NTPE.
2.01 ± 0.40 (1.2–2.5 cm) [15]. The average caliber of the The MTV courses along the outer surface of the deep
middle temporal vein in another series of microvascular layer of the deep temporal fascia (DTF) in a region lying
surgery cases was found to be 1.81 ± 0.56 mm (range, between the eyebrow and the ear. The MTV usually begins
0.7–2.5 mm) [16]. The average diameter of the MTV at its at the level of the lateral eyebrow, just lateral to the orbital
maximal point was found to be 5.1 mm (range, margin and superficial to the lateral orbital thickening. The

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zygomaticotemporal vein (draining mainly the temporal


area above the zygomatic arch), and the zygomaticofacial
vein (draining the area around the lower lid–cheek junc-
tion). All of these veins join together as a venous web, thus
forming the MTV. Multiple veins emerging on the surface
of the temporalis muscle join the MTV, forming a venous
plexus with the MTV in the TFP [25].
The middle temporal vein is also described in the lit-
erature as the interfascial vein (IFV). It is found to be
always located in the interfascial space between the
superficial and deep layer of the deep temporal fascia
(Fig. 3). This location serves as an excellent anatomical
landmark to perform an interfascial dissection in the cor-
rect plane during certain neurosurgical procedures, thus
Fig. 2 Proposed ‘venous danger zone’ in the temporal fossa, marked avoiding the temporal branch of the facial nerve [27, 28].
between the upper border of the zygomatic arch and an imaginary
The interfascial space was found to be present in the
horizontal line drawn from the junction point (the proposed name ‘K
Point’) between the lateral orbital rim and the temporal crest (original, anterior fourth of the outer surface of the temporal muscle
previously unpublished picture of cadaver dissection, contributed by and extended from the superior temporal line to the
Krishan Mohan Kapoor and Chris Qiong Li with permission for zygomatic arch. As reported in one study, if the interfascial
publication)
space is divided into three parts (from the superior tem-
poral line superiorly to the zygomatic arch inferiorly), the
sentinel vein, which is present just lateral to the zygo-
MTV was found in the middle third in all cases.
maticofrontal suture, can be seen deeper to the superficial
The MTV was found running parallel and approximately
temporal fascia (STF), near the temporal branch of the
one finger width caudal to the frontal branch of the
facial nerve [24]. The sentinel vein drains into the middle
superficial temporal artery but in a deeper plane in one
temporal vein after piercing the superficial layer of deep
study [25], it was found superior and parallel to the
temporal fascia. The MTV runs in the temporal fat pad
zygomatic arch in another [29].
(TFP), which is enclosed between the two layers of deep
Regarding the vascular supply of the temporalis muscle,
temporal fascia [25, 26] (Fig. 2).
the veins and venules were found to run generally along-
The tributaries of the MTV include the lacrimal vein, the
side, and pair with the corresponding arteries and arteri-
superciliary vein (from the eyebrow and the upper lid
oles. A double vein indicative of two branches of the MTV
region), the sentinel vein, veins accompanying the frontal
branch of the superficial temporal artery, the

Fig. 4 Showing anterior and posterior deep temporal veins on the


Fig. 3 Dissection of the middle temporal vein after giving incision at undersurface of the temporalis muscle. The temporalis muscle has
the upper border of the zygomatic arch. After reflecting the dual venous drainage. The superficial part of muscle drains through
temporoparietal fascia, the superficial layer of deep temporal fascia various large tributaries, which run parallel to muscle fibers, into the
was identified and incised. After this incision, the interfascial space middle temporal vein. The deep part is drained by much smaller veins
was identified where the main trunk of the middle temporal vein along accompanying anterior and posterior deep temporal arteries (branches
with the interfascial fat pad was found resting on the deep layer of of the maxillary artery) on the undersurface of the temporalis muscle
deep temporal fascia (original, previously unpublished picture of (original, previously unpublished picture of cadaver dissection,
cadaver dissection, contributed by Krishan Mohan Kapoor with contributed by Krishan Mohan Kapoor with permission for
permission for publication) publication)

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was commonly seen pairing with a single middle temporal The inferior part of the tributaries and the main trunk of
artery (MTA) [30]. The anterior and posterior deep tem- the MTV lie in the non-hair-bearing part of the temporal
poral veins accompany corresponding arteries and drain the fossa, where filler injections are performed for the aug-
deep part of the temporalis muscle (Fig. 4). mentation of volume loss in the temple. For the safe
The pretragal point remains a suitable landmark for injection of temporal fillers, the extensive venous plexus in
locating the reliable position of the MTV draining from the the temporal region should be taken into account in order to
temple into the superficial temporal vein. As the pretragal reduce the possibility of vascular complications [32].
point relates to clear clinical landmarks and its location is While one of the studies mentions that the MTV is
far from the injection area in the temple, pressure exerted usually in a collapsed state throughout its course [25],
by an assistant at this point does not cause interference another mentions that the walls of the MTV are maintained
during the injection procedure [31]. The pressure at the in a dilated, and non-collapsed state as the vein’s stem is
pretragal vascular confluence point has been suggested as a embedded in the superficial temporal fat pad—the dense
preventive measure against venous complications during connective tissue present between the superficial and deep
the temporal injection but does not eliminate the risk of layers of the deep temporal fascia. It consequently does not
complications. collapse during injection like other veins, thus increasing
Chances of ocular complications after accidental injec- the risk of intravenous injection [11].
tion in the MTV can be regarded as minimal. The results of The inability to see the deeper structures during filler
retrograde venous injection have revealed that the threat of injections can be a risk factor in cases of inadequate
ocular complications after injection is low [25]. The pres- knowledge of the surface anatomy of important structures.
ence of functional venous valves may be an important The MTV is not a very well-known vessel among clini-
factor in preventing retrograde blood flow from the middle cians. However, awareness of the existence of the MTV is
temporal vein toward the ophthalmic circulation [16, 17]. essential in order to mitigate undue vascular complications
The factors associated with the complication of NTPE after during cosmetic procedures in the temporal region.
injection of the temporal fossa could be large volume Our study suggests that the location of the middle
injections in severe temporal hollowing, an improper temporal vein can be identified in relation to the superior
technique of injection in the ‘middle plane’ of the temporal border of the zygomatic arch. This location can be easily
fossa, a large MTV associated with temporalis hypertrophy palpated with a fingertip, and the zone of the MTV can be
after masseter botulinum toxin treatment [25], and a middle marked above the zygomatic arch. Based on our analysis of
temporal vein with several large tributaries. the course of the MTV, we propose that the area of the
Due to the large size along with its splitting variation temporal fossa, at least 34 mm (25 mm ? 9 mm) above
and branching patterns, the MTV occupies significant the zygomatic arch, is not safe for temporal injection due to
space in the temporal fossa. The presence of such an the variable position (- 2–25 mm from the upper border of
extensive venous plexus in the temporal fossa superficial to the zygomatic arch), oblique course and large size
the temporal muscle may be hazardous for both surgical (0.5–9.1 mm) of this vessel. The earlier suggested ‘safest
and non-surgical procedures in this area. The oblique area’ for filler injection during temporal fossa augmenta-
course of the MTV also ensures that finding a safer zone in tion at one finger width above the zygomatic arch [17] was
the temporal fossa, without encountering this vessel, could found to be unsafe in the current literature review. As the
be difficult. large muscle branches draining into the middle temporal
The middle temporal vein starts from the subcutaneous vein are present even at a level higher than this proposed
layer of the lateral canthal region and pierces the superfi- 34 mm zone, injection in the ‘middle depth plane’ may
cial layer of the deep temporal fascia to run in the temporal also be risky.
fat pad. The MTV also provides venous drainage for the The information in this review article can facilitate the
outer surface of the temporal muscle via multiple branches. accurate localization of the ‘venous danger zone’ in rela-
The MTV thus provides a connection between the venous tion to the middle temporal vein during pre-procedure
return from the superficial and the deep layer of the tem- marking and during the filler injection. The ‘venous danger
poral region. The distribution of the MTV over multiple zone’ can be marked by two lines, one lying at the upper
layers in the temporal area suggests that apart from border of the zygomatic arch. The junction between the
draining the middle layers, it also acts as a bridging vein lateral orbital rim and the beginning of the temporal crest
between the superficial layer (subcutaneous layer) and the has been proposed as ‘K Point.’ The second line may be
deep layer (temporal muscle) [16]. The MTV is also con- drawn from ‘K point,’ parallel to the line drawn from the
nected to the cavernous sinus through its connection with upper border of the zygomatic arch. This danger zone is
the supratrochlear vein [11]. much bigger than a similar venous danger zone previously
described in the literature as—‘at the temporal depression

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maneuver during temporal augmentation using both anterograde Publisher’s Note Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to
and retrograde injections. Aesthet Plast Surg 39(5):791–799. jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.
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