Unusual posterior (premasseteric) branch of facial artery – a case report

Facial artery is the main artery of the face. It is known to show some variations in its origin course and branching pattern. We found an unusual posterior (premasseteric) branch of the facial artery on the face. The right facial artery gave a large branch, which ran upwards behind the facial artery. This artery had a tortuous course and it terminated by anastomosing with the infraorbital artery. The transverse facial artery and inferior labial arteries were absent on the right side. The left inferior labial artery was large and it supplied the entire lower lip. Knowledge of this variation may be important for maxillofacial surgeons, plastic surgeons and radiologists.