The Scalp

AN 101
The Scalp
• Is the part of the head that extends from the supercilliary arches anteriorly
to the external occipital protuberance and superior nuchal lines posteriorly
• It laterally continues inferiorly to the zygomatic arch.
• It is multilayer and the letters SCALP stands for:-
S: Skin
C: Connective tissue
A: Aponeurosis
L: Loose connective tissue
P: Pericranium
Layers of the scalp-Skin
• Is the outer most layer of the
scalp
• It is similar to the skin
throughout the body with the
exceptions that hair is present
on larger amount of it.
Connective tissue (dense)
• Lies deep to the skin
• It anchors the skin to the third
layer and contains the arteries,
veins and nerve supply the sculp.
Aponeurotic layer
• Is the deepest of the first three
layers
• It contains the occipito-frontalis
muscle and the epicranial
aponeurosis called Galea
aponeurotica.
• The occipitofrontalis muscle
wrinkles the forehead, move the
scalp and raises the eyebrow
Loose connective tissue
• Is a layer of loose connective
tissue that separates the
aponeurotic layer from the
pericranium and facilitates the
movement of the scalp proper
over the calvaria.
Pericranium
• Is the deepest layer of the scalp
and is the periosteum on the
outer surface of the calvaria.
• It is attached to the bones of the
calvaria, It is removable except
in the area of the sutures
Innervation of the scalp
• Sensory innervation to the scalp
is from the cranial nerves and
cervical nerves depending on
whether it is anterior or
posterior to the ears and the
vertex of the head.
• The occipitofrontalis muscles is
innervated by branches of the
facial nerve
Anterior to the ears and vertex
• The area of the scalp anterior to
the ears and vertex is innervated
by branches of the trigeminal
nerve [V]
• These branches include :-
The supratrochlear
Supra-orbital
Zygomaticotemporal and
Auriculotemporal nerves: 
Posterior to the ears and vertex
• Posterior to the ears and vertex,
sensory innervation of the scalp is
by cervical nerves, specifically
branches from spinal cord levels
C2 and C3.
• These branches are
Great auricular
Lesser occipital
Greater occipital, and
Third occipital nerves
Arteries supplying the scalp
• These are branches of either the
ophthalmic or external carotid
artery
• Branches from the ophthalmic
artery include:– the supratrochlear
and supraorbital arteries
• Branches from the external carotid
include:- the posterior auricular,
superficial temporal and the
occipital arteries.
Veins
• The venous drainage from the
scalp follow a pattern similar to
the arteries
• Veins draining the scalp include:-
Supratrochlear vein
Supraorbital vein
Superficial temporal vein
Posterior auricular vein
Occipital vein
Lymphatic drainage of the scalp
• Generally follow the pattern of
the arterial supply.
• Lymphatics in the occipital
region drain into the occipital
nodes
• Other lymph nodes in the region
include the pre-auricular,
parotid, deep cervical, mastoid,
submental and submandibular
nodes