Deep auricular artery

The auricular artery profunda ( "deep artery of the ear ") is an artery of the head in humans. It originates from the first ( retromandibular ) section of the maxillary artery and pulls, embedded in the tissue of the parotid gland, the ear. Behind the TMJ it passes through the cartilage of the external auditory meatus and supplies the skin of the external auditory canal and the outside of the eardrum. It also sends a branch to the TMJ.