The superficial temporal artery is the smaller of two end branches that split superiorly from the external carotid.

Based on its direction, the superficial temporal artery appears to be a continuation of the external carotid.

In an estimate of the path of the nerve in the soft tissue of the temporal frontal branch using landmarks by Pitanguy, he describes a line starting from a point 0.5 cm below the tragus in the direction of the eyebrow, passing 1.5 cm above the lateral extremity of the eyebrow.

The superficial temporal artery is often affected in giant-cell arteritis and biopsied if the diagnosis is suspected.

This article incorporates text in the public domain from page 559 of the 20th edition of Gray's Anatomy (1918) ocular group: central retinal