Nasolacrimal drainage apparatus
Last revised by Kajanan Nithiyananthan
on 15 Jan 2025
Citation, DOI, disclosures and article data
Citation:
Knipe H, Bell D, Hacking C, et al. Nasolacrimal drainage apparatus. Reference article, Radiopaedia.org (Accessed on 22 Mar 2025) https://doi.org/10.53347/rID-26823
rID:
26823
Article created:
Disclosures:
At the time the article was created Henry Knipe had no recorded disclosures.
View Henry Knipe's current disclosures
Last revised:
15 Jan 2025,
Kajanan Nithiyananthan
Disclosures:
At the time the article was last revised Kajanan Nithiyananthan had no financial relationships to ineligible companies to disclose.
View Kajanan Nithiyananthan's current disclosures
Revisions:
12 times, by
8 contributors -
see full revision history and disclosures
Systems:
Sections:
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Synonyms:
- Nasolacrimal apparatus
The nasolacrimal (drainage) apparatus consists of:
Gross anatomy
Tears produced by the lacrimal gland, accessory lacrimal glands of Krause, Wolfring and Zeis, and Meibomian glands track medially along the eyelid margins and collect at the lacrimal lake at the inner canthus. The nasolacrimal drainage apparatus drains tears in a descending course through the inferior and superior lacrimal canaliculi and common canaliculus through the valve of Rosenmuller leading to the lacrimal sac, which drains into the nasolacrimal duct within the bony nasolacrimal canal of the maxilla and through the valve of Hasner to the inferior nasal meatus below the inferior turbinate in the nasal cavity.
Note that the nasolacrimal apparatus is not to be confused with the lacrimal apparatus, which also includes the lacrimal gland.
Related pathology
-
squamous cell papillomas and carcinomas
transitional cell papillomas and carcinomas
oncocytomas
adenocarcinoma
adenoid cystic carcinoma
malignant melanomas
References
- 1. Russell EJ, Czervionke L, Huckman M et-al. CT of the inferomedial orbit and the lacrimal drainage apparatus: normal and pathologic anatomy. AJR Am J Roentgenol. 1985;145 (6): 1147-54. doi:10.2214/ajr.145.6.1147 - Pubmed citation
- 2. Jinkins JR. Atlas of Neuroradiologic Embryology, Anatomy, and Variants. Lippincott Williams & Wilkins. (2000) ISBN:0781716527. Read it at Google Books - Find it at Amazon
- 3. Kumar VA, Esmaeli B, Ahmed S et-al. Imaging Features of Malignant Lacrimal Sac and Nasolacrimal Duct Tumors. AJNR Am J Neuroradiol. doi:10.3174/ajnr.A4882 - Pubmed citation
- 4. Osama A. Raslan, Arzu Ozturk, Nancy Pham, Jennifer Chang, Edward B. Strong, Matthew Bobinski. A Comprehensive Review of Cross-Sectional Imaging of the Nasolacrimal Drainage Apparatus: What Radiologists Need to Know. (2019) American Journal of Roentgenology. doi:10.2214/AJR.19.21507 - Pubmed
Incoming Links
Articles:
Cases:
- Nasolacrimal tube complicated by infection
- Dacryocystitis
- Dacryocystocele
- Dacryocystocele
- Dacryocystitis and dacryocystocele
- Dacryocystocele
- Nasolacrimal duct obstruction
- Lester Jones tube
- Bilateral nasolacrimal duct mucocele and dacryocystocele
- Dacryocystocele
- Post-saccular lacrimal duct stenosis
- Dacryocystocele - acquired
- Dacryocystocoele
Related articles: Anatomy: Head and neck
- skeleton of the head and neck
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cranial vault
- scalp (mnemonic)
- fontanelle
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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
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- spheno-occipital suture (not a true suture)
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facial bones
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common carotid artery
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arterial supply
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trigeminal nerve (CN V) (mnemonic)
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