Carotid Sheath

The carotid sheath is an anatomical term for the fibrous connective tissue that surrounds the vascular compartment of the neck. It is part of the deep cervical fascia of the neck, below the superficial cervical fascia meaning the subcutaneous adipose tissue immediately beneath the skin.

The deep cervical fascia of the neck includes four parts:

• The investing layer (encloses the SCM and Trapezius)
• The carotid sheath (encloses the vascular region of the neck)
• The pretracheal fascia (encloses the visceral region of the neck)
• The prevertebral fascia (encloses the vertebral region of the neck)