Dorsal nasal artery


The dorsal nasal artery is an artery of the head. It is one of two terminal branches of the ophthalmic artery, the other being the supratrochlear artery.

Structure

The dorsal nasal artery is a terminal branch of the ophthalmic artery in the superomedial orbit. It passes anteriorly to exit the orbit between the trochlea superiorly and the medial palpebral ligament inferiorly. First it gives a branch to the lacrimal sac. Then it bifurcates into a branch that anastomoses with the terminal part of the facial artery and a branch that travels along the dorsum of the nose. This latter branch also anastomoses with its contralateral pair and the lateral nasal branch of the facial artery.