Carotid Body Location — MFDS Part 1 MCQ

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HardAnatomy (Head & Neck)Carotid Body LocationMFDS Part 1

During dissection of the carotid triangle, a small, ovoid, highly vascular sensory structure is identified within the adventitia at the bifurcation of the common carotid artery, adjacent to the angle formed by the origins of the internal and external carotid arteries. Which structure has been identified?

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Correct answer: A — Carotid body

The structure is the carotid body, a small, highly vascular peripheral chemoreceptor situated in the adventitia at the common carotid bifurcation. It detects changes in arterial oxygen tension, carbon dioxide and pH. Its precise position around the bifurcation can vary, so describing it simply as lying invariably between the internal and external carotid arteries is overly absolute. The carotid sinus is not a separate ovoid organ; it is a baroreceptor-rich arterial dilatation, usually involving the proximal internal carotid artery. The vagus nerve descends within the carotid sheath, while the glossopharyngeal nerve supplies the region through the carotid sinus nerve. The superior cervical sympathetic ganglion lies posterior to the carotid sheath.

Reference: Kaprive JF, Menezes RG. Anatomy, Head and Neck: Carotid Bodies. StatPearls, 2026. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32965908/