Posterior ethmoidal artery

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Artery: Posterior ethmoidal artery
The ophthalmic artery and its branches. (Anterior and posterior ethmoid labeled at left.)
Latin a. ethmoidalis posterior
Gray's subject #146 570
Supplies posterior ethmoidal cells
posterior ethmoidal air sinuses
dura mater of the anterior cranial fossa
upper part of the nasal mucosa
Source ophthalmic artery   
Branches meningeal branch
nasal branches
Vein ethmoidal veins
Dorlands
/ Elsevier
    
a_61/12154258

The posterior ethmoidal artery is an artery of the head. It is smaller than the anterior ethmoidal artery, branches off from the ophthalmic artery when it reaches the medial wall of the orbit.

Contents

[edit] Course

It passes between the upper border of the medial rectus muscle and superior oblique muscle to pass through the posterior ethmoidal canal, to supply posterior ethmoidal cells, and, entering the cranium

[edit] Branches

When it enters the cranium it gives off a meningeal branch to the dura mater, and nasal branches which descend into the nasal cavity through apertures in the cribriform plate, anastomosing with branches of the sphenopalatine.

[edit] Supplies

This artery supplies the posterior ethmoidal air sinuses, dura mater of the anterior cranial fossa, and the upper part of the nasal mucosa.

[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 As such, some of the information contained herein may be outdated.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.