Artery: Medial palpebral arteries
The ophthalmic artery and its branches. (Medial palpebral labeled at center top.)
Latin	arteriae palpebrales mediales
Gray's	subject #146 570
Supplies	eyelids
Source	ophthalmic artery
Branches	superior palpebral arch inferior palpebral arch

The medial palpebral arteries (internal palpebral arteries) are arteries of the head. They are two in number, superior and inferior, arise from the ophthalmic, opposite the pulley of the Obliquus superior.

[edit] Course

They 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.

The superior palpebral arch anastomoses, at the lateral angle of the orbit, with the zygomaticoörbital branch of the temporal artery and with the upper of the two lateral palpebral branches from the lacrimal artery.

The inferior palpebral arch anastomoses, at the lateral angle of the orbit, with the lower of the two lateral palpebral branches from the lacrimal 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.

[edit] Additional images

Bloodvessels of the eyelids, front view.

This article was originally based on an entry from a public domain edition of Gray's Anatomy. As such, some of the information contained within it may be outdated.

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v • d • e List of arteries of head and neck (TA A12.2.05-08, GA 6.549) CC EC sup. thyroid superior laryngeal · sternocleidomastoid branch · infrahyoid branch · cricothyroid branch · glandular branches asc. pharyngeal posterior meningeal · pharyngeal branches · inferior tympanic lingual suprahyoid · dorsal lingual · deep lingual · sublingual facial cervical branches (ascending palatine, tonsillar, submental, glandular) · facial branches (inferior labial, superior labial / nasal septum, lateral nasal, angular) occipital sternocleidomastoid · meningeal · occipital · auricular · descending post. auricular stylomastoid · stapedial · auricular · occipital sup. temporal transverse facial · middle temporal (zygomatico-orbital) · anterior auricular · frontal · parietal maxillary 1st part / mandibular anterior tympanic · deep auricular · middle meningeal (superior tympanic, petrosal) · accessory meningeal · inferior alveolar (mental, mylohyoid) 2nd part / pterygoid to muscles of mastication (deep temporal, pterygoid, masseteric) · buccal 3rd part / pterygopalatine posterior superior alveolar · infraorbital (anterior superior alveolar) · descending palatine (greater palatine, lesser palatine) · artery of the pterygoid canal · sphenopalatine (posterior septal branches, posterior lateral nasal) · pharyngeal IC cervical carotid sinus petrous Vidian · caroticotympanic cavernous/ ophthalmic 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) Willis/Cerebral ACA (anterior communicating) · MCA (anterolateral central, Orbitofrontal artery, Prefrontal artery, Superior terminal branch, Inferior terminal branch, Anterior temporal branch) · posterior communicating · anterior choroidal SC vertebral artery meningeal · spinal (posterior, anterior) · basilar: pontine · labyrinthine · cerebellar (AICA, SCA, PICA)  · cerebral (PCA) thyrocervical trunk inferior thyroid inferior laryngeal · tracheal · esophageal · ascending cervical · pharyngeal · glandular branches transverse cervical superficial branch · deep branch / dorsal scapular suprascapular acromial branch costocervical trunk deep cervical · Supreme Intercostal artery