Lacrimal gland
Citation, DOI, disclosures and article data
At the time the article was created Marlyson Olivier had no recorded disclosures.
View Marlyson Olivier's current disclosuresAt the time the article was last revised Tariq Walizai had no financial relationships to ineligible companies to disclose.
View Tariq Walizai's current disclosures- Lacrimal glands
The lacrimal gland lies in the superolateral aspect of the orbit. It is part of the lacrimal apparatus and is responsible for tear production.
On this page:
Gross anatomy
The lacrimal gland is roughly almond-sized and located anteriorly in the superolateral aspect of the extraconal space of the orbit. It has two lobes, a larger orbital lobe that extends deep into the orbital septum and a smaller palpebral lobe. Its orbital lobe sits in the lacrimal fossa of the orbit on the lateral margin of the levator palpebrae superioris muscle.
The lacrimal gland measures ~14.5 mm in axial length, 18 mm in coronal length and ~4.5 mm sagittal length (thickness). The size of the lacrimal gland decreases with age 1. Its cellular structure is similar to the salivary glands but it is unique in that it is composed of both epithelial and lymphoid tissues 2,3.
It drains via many small ducts into the lateral aspect of the superior conjunctival fornix.
ADVERTISEMENT: Supporters see fewer/no ads
Arterial supply
lacrimal artery, an orbital branch of the ophthalmic artery supplies the gland
Venous drainage
lacrimal tributaries draining to the superior ophthalmic vein
Innervation
Secretomotor parasympathetic fibers via the greater petrosal nerve synapse in the pterygopalatine ganglion. Postganglionic fibers continue into the orbit via the zygomatic nerve which anastomoses with the lacrimal nerve.
Lymphatic drainage
Lymphatics of all the orbital structures drain to the preauricular and parotid lymph nodes through the eyelids and cheeks.
Related pathology
-
bilateral enlargement 2,3
IgG4 disease
-
malignancy
lymphoma
leukemia
histiocytosis
-
unilateral enlargement 2
-
malignancy
adenocarcinoma
infection
-
History and etymology
"Lacrima" is the Latin word for "a tear". Some speculate that the Latin word may have derived from a copyist's error writing λακρύ instead of δάκρυ ("dacro"), the Greek word for "a tear".
The gland was originally noted by Galen but was more thoroughly described in 1574 by Caracanus of Milan, a student of Fallopius. In 1662, N Stensen demonstrated that tears were formed by the gland and did not originate in the brain, as previously thought.
References
- 1. Tamboli D, Harris M, Hogg J, Realini T, Sivak-Callcott J. Computed Tomography Dimensions of the Lacrimal Gland in Normal Caucasian Orbits. Ophthalmic Plast Reconstr Surg. 2011;27(6):453-6. doi:10.1097/IOP.0b013e31821e9f5d - Pubmed
- 2. Hughes G & Miszkiel K. Imaging of the Lacrimal Gland. Semin Ultrasound CT MR. 2006;27(6):476-91. doi:10.1053/j.sult.2006.09.002 - Pubmed
- 3. Mohan S, Hegde A, Tchoyoson Lim C. Lacrimal Glands: Size Does Matter!. Middle East Afr J Ophthalmol. 2011;18(4):328-30. doi:10.4103/0974-9233.90140 - Pubmed
- 4. Izumi M, Eguchi K, Uetani M et al. MR Features of the Lacrimal Gland in Sjögren's Syndrome. AJR Am J Roentgenol. 1998;170(6):1661-6. doi:10.2214/ajr.170.6.9609194 - Pubmed
- 5. Warner M, Weber A, Jakobiec F. Benign and Malignant Tumors of the Orbital Cavity Including the Lacrimal Gland. Neuroimaging Clin N Am. 1996;6(1):123-42. - Pubmed
- 6. Origin of Medical Terms. (1961) ISBN: 0028523903 - Google Books
- 7. Keith L. Moore, Arthur F. Dalley, A. M. R. Agur. Clinically Oriented Anatomy. (2013) ISBN: 9781451119459 - Google Books
- 8. Last, R. J., McMinn, R. M. H.. Last's Anatomy, Regional and Applied. (1994) ISBN: 044304662X - Google Books
Incoming Links
- Mikulicz syndrome
- Küttner tumour
- Orbital lymphoma
- Ocular globe
- Capillary haemangioma of the orbit
- Adenoid cystic carcinoma
- Dacryops
- Adnexa (disambiguation)
- Superior salivary nucleus
- Parasympathetic ganglia in the head and neck
- Superior ophthalmic vein
- Lacrimal apparatus
- Lacrimal artery
- Panda sign (sarcoidosis)
- Nasolacrimal drainage apparatus
- Orbital inflammatory disease (differential)
- Lacrimal gland prolapse
- Bogorad syndrome
- Lacrimal canaliculi
- Subconjunctival fat prolapse
- Dacryops
- Recurrent dacryoadenitis
- Graves ophthalmopathy
- Ocular rupture
- Orbitotomy and Graves ophtalmopathy
- Orbitotomy and Graves ophtalmopathy
- Pleomorphic adenoma of lacrimal gland
- Dacryocystitis and dacryocystocele
- Medial canthus foreign body
- Idiopathic orbital inflammation
- Subperiosteal abscess of the orbit
- Basal cell carcinoma of the eyelid
- Nonspecific orbital inflammation
- Adenoid cystic carcinoma of lacrimal gland
- Adenoid cystic carcinoma of lacrimal gland
- Dermoid cyst of the lacrimal gland
- Orbital roof blow-in fracture
- Optic nerve sheath meningioma
- Ocular tear and foreign body
- Graves ophthalmopathy
Related articles: Anatomy: Head and neck
- skeleton of the head and neck
-
cranial vault
- scalp (mnemonic)
- fontanelle
-
sutures
- calvarial
- facial
- frontozygomatic suture
- frontomaxillary suture
- frontolacrimal suture
- frontonasal suture
- temporozygomatic suture
- zygomaticomaxillary suture
- parietotemporal suture (parietomastoid suture)
- occipitotemporal suture (occipitomastoid suture)
- sphenofrontal suture
- sphenozygomatic suture
- spheno-occipital suture (not a true suture)
- lacrimomaxillary suture
- nasomaxillary suture
- internasal suture
- basal/internal
- skull landmarks
- frontal bone
- temporal bone
- parietal bone
- occipital bone
- skull base (foramina)
-
facial bones
- midline single bones
- paired bilateral bones
- cervical spine
- hyoid bone
- laryngeal cartilages
-
cranial vault
- muscles of the head and neck
- muscles of the tongue (mnemonic)
- muscles of mastication
-
facial muscles
- epicranius muscle
- circumorbital and palpebral muscles
- nasal muscles
-
buccolabial muscles
- elevators, retractors and evertors of the upper lip
- levator labii superioris alaeque nasalis muscle
- levator labii superioris muscle
- zygomaticus major muscle
- zygomaticus minor muscle
- levator anguli oris muscle
- malaris muscle
- risorius muscle
- depressors, retractors and evertors of the lower lip
- depressor labii inferioris muscle
- depressor anguli oris muscle
- mentalis muscle
- compound sphincter
-
orbicularis oris muscle
- incisivus labii superioris muscle
- incisivus labii inferioris muscle
-
orbicularis oris muscle
- muscle of mastication
- modiolus
- elevators, retractors and evertors of the upper lip
- muscles of the middle ear
- orbital muscles
- muscles of the soft palate
- pharyngeal muscles
- suprahyoid muscles
- infrahyoid muscles
- intrinsic muscles of the larynx
- muscles of the neck
- platysma muscle
- longus colli muscle
- longus capitis muscle
- scalenus anterior muscle
- scalenus medius muscle
- scalenus posterior muscle
- scalenus pleuralis muscle
- sternocleidomastoid muscle
-
suboccipital muscles
- rectus capitis posterior major muscle
- rectus capitis posterior minor muscle
- obliquus capitis superior muscle
- obliquus capitis inferior muscle
- accessory muscles of the neck
- deep cervical fascia
-
deep spaces of the neck
- anterior cervical space
- buccal space
- carotid space
- danger space
- deep cervical fascia
- infratemporal fossa
- masticator space
- parapharyngeal space
- stylomandibular tunnel
- parotid space
- pharyngeal (superficial) mucosal space
- perivertebral space
- posterior cervical space
- pterygopalatine fossa
- retropharyngeal space
- suprasternal space (of Burns)
- visceral space
- surgical triangles of the neck
- orbit
- ear
- paranasal sinuses
- upper respiratory tract
- viscera of the neck
- blood supply of the head and neck
-
arterial supply
-
common carotid artery
- carotid body
- carotid bifurcation
- subclavian artery
- variants
-
common carotid artery
- venous drainage
-
arterial supply
- innervation of the head and neck
-
cranial nerves
- olfactory nerve (CN I)
- optic nerve (CN II)
- oculomotor nerve (CN III)
- trochlear nerve (CN IV)
-
trigeminal nerve (CN V) (mnemonic)
- trigeminal ganglion
- ophthalmic division
- maxillary division
- mandibular division
- abducens nerve (CN VI)
- facial nerve (CN VII)
-
vestibulocochlear nerve (CN VIII)
- vestibular ganglion (Scarpa's ganglion)
- glossopharyngeal nerve (CN IX)
- vagus nerve (CN X)
- (spinal) accessory nerve (CN XI)
- hypoglossal nerve (CN XII)
- parasympathetic ganglia of the head and neck
- cervical sympathetic ganglia
- greater occipital nerve
- third occipital nerve
-
cervical plexus
- muscular branches
- longus capitis
- longus colli
- scalenes
- geniohyoid
- thyrohyoid
-
ansa cervicalis
- omohyoid (superior and inferior bellies separately)
- sternothyroid
- sternohyoid
- phrenic nerve
- contribution to the accessory nerve (CN XI)
- cutaneous branches
- muscular branches
- brachial plexus
- pharyngeal plexus
-
cranial nerves
- lymphatic drainage of the head and neck
- embryological development of the head and neck
Unable to process the form. Check for errors and try again.
