Lacrimal artery

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Artery: Lacrimal artery
The ophthalmic artery and its branches. (Lacrimal artery visible at center right.)
The tarsi and their ligaments. Right eye; front view. (Lacrimal artery visible at upper left.)
Latin a. lacrimalis
Gray's subject #146 569
Supplies lacrimal gland, eyelids, conjunctiva
Source ophthalmic artery   
Branches lateral palpebral arteries
zygomatic branches
recurrent branch
Dorlands
/ Elsevier    		 a_61/12154804

The lacrimal artery arises close to the optic foramen, and is one of the largest branches derived from the ophthalmic artery: not infrequently it is given off before the artery enters the orbit.

It accompanies the lacrimal nerve along the upper border of the Lateral Rectus, supplies the lacrimal gland.

Contents

[edit] Branches

Its terminal branches, escaping from the gland, are distributed to the eyelids and conjunctiva: of those supplying the eyelids, two are of considerable size and are named the lateral palpebral arteries; they run medially in the upper and lower lids respectively and anastomose with the medial palpebral arteries, forming an arterial circle in this situation.

The lacrimal artery also give off one or two zygomatic branches, one of which passes through the zygomatico-temporal foramen, to reach the temporal fossa, and anastomoses with the deep temporal arteries; another appears on the cheek through the zygomatico-facial foramen, and anastomoses with the transverse facial.

A recurrent branch passes backward through the lateral part of the superior orbital fissure to the dura mater, and anastomoses with a branch of the middle meningeal artery.

[edit] Variations

The lacrimal artery is sometimes derived from one of the anterior branches of the middle meningeal artery.

[edit] Additional images

Bloodvessels of the eyelids, front view.

[edit] External links

This article was originally based on an entry from a public domain edition of Gray's Anatomy. As such, some of the information contained herein may be outdated. Please edit the article if this is the case, and feel free to remove this notice when it is no longer relevant.

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List of arteries of head and neck
CC/EC
cervical branches (ascending palatine, tonsillar, submental, glandular) - facial branches (inferior labial, superior labial/nasal septum, lateral nasal, angular)
CC/IC
orbital group: posterior ethmoidal - anterior ethmoidal (anterior septal, anterior lateral nasal, anterior meningeal) - lacrimal (lateral palpebral) - medial palpebral - terminal (supraorbital, supratrochlear, dorsal nasal)
ocular group: central retinal - ciliary (short posterior, long posterior, anterior) - hypophysial (superior, inferior)
SC
meningeal - spinal (posterior, anterior) - cerebellar (PICA)
basilar: pontine - labyrinthine - cerebellar (AICA, SCA) - cerebral (PCA)