Medial palpebral arteries

(Redirected from Inferior palpebral artery)

The medial palpebral arteries (internal palpebral arteries) are arteries of the head that contribute arterial blood supply to the eyelids. They are derived from the ophthalmic artery; a single medial palpebral artery issues from the ophthalmic artery before splitting into a superior and an inferior medial palpebral artery,[1] each supplying one eyelid.

Medial palpebral arteries
The ophthalmic artery and its branches. (Medial palpebral labeled at center top.)
Details
SourceOphthalmic artery
BranchesSuperior palpebral arch
inferior palpebral arch
SuppliesEyelids
Identifiers
Latinarteriae palpebrales mediales
TA98A12.2.06.044
TA24496
FMA70785
Anatomical terminology

Anatomy

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Origin

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A single medial palpebral artery issues from the ophthalmic artery before bifurcating into a superior and an inferior medial palpebral artery.[1]

The origin occurs near the trochlea of the superior oblique muscle.[2]: 570 

Course

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The medial palpebral arteries leave the orbit to encircle the eyelids near their free margins, forming a superior and an inferior arch, which lie between the orbicularis oculi and the tarsi.[2]: 570 

Anastomoses

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The superior medial palpebral artery anastomoses (at lateral angle of the orbit) with the upper lateral palpebral artery, and the zygomaticoorbital branch of the temporal artery.[2]: 570 

The inferior medial palpebral artery anastomoses at the lateral angle of the orbit with the lower lateral palpebral artery, and with the transverse facial artery, and at the medial part of the lid with a branch from the angular artery (from this last anastomoses a branch passes to the nasolacrimal duct, ramifying in its mucous membrane as far as the inferior meatus of the nasal cavity).[2]: 570 

Additional images

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References

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  This article incorporates text in the public domain from page 570 of the 20th edition of Gray's Anatomy (1918)

  1. ^ a b Gupta, Neha; Motlagh, Mahsaw; Singh, Gurdeep (2022), "Anatomy, Head and Neck, Eye Arteries", StatPearls, Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing, PMID 30725748, retrieved 2022-12-26
  2. ^ a b c d Gray, Henry (1918). Gray's Anatomy (20th ed.).