Quick Facts
Origin: Lacrimal artery.
Course: Extends from lacrimal gland to the lateral aspect of the eyelids.
Branches: Marginal and peripheral arterial arcades.
Supplied Structures: Lateral sides of superior and inferior eyelids and the conjunctiva.
Related parts of the anatomy
Origin
The lateral palpebral arteries are the terminal continuation of the lacrimal artery after it supplies the lacrimal gland.
Course
The lateral palpebral arteries continue from the lacrimal gland to reach the lateral aspect of the upper and lower eyelids. Within the eyelids, the arteries course medially to anastomose with the medial palpebral arteries (Standring, 2016).
Branches
The lateral palpebral arteries, together with the medial palpebral arteries, provide important anastomotic arches within the upper and lower eyelids. These include the superior and inferior marginal arterial arcades and the superior peripheral arterial arcade.
Supplied Structures
The lateral palpebral arteries supply the upper and lower eyelids and the conjunctiva.
References
Standring, S. (2016) Gray's Anatomy: The Anatomical Basis of Clinical Practice. Gray's Anatomy Series 41 edn.: Elsevier Limited.
Learn more about this topic from other Elsevier products
Artery
When the artery is occluded blood is forced through the collateral vessels, drastically increasing fluid shear stress and triggering an inflammatory response which drives vessel remodeling.
