Sphenopalatine artery
Citation, DOI, disclosures and article data
Citation:
Hacking C, Sphenopalatine artery. Reference article, Radiopaedia.org (Accessed on 07 Mar 2025) https://doi.org/10.53347/rID-52224
Permalink:
rID:
52224
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Disclosures:
At the time the article was created Craig Hacking had no recorded disclosures.
View Craig Hacking's current disclosures
Last revised:
Disclosures:
At the time the article was last revised Craig Hacking had no recorded disclosures.
View Craig Hacking's current disclosures
Revisions:
2 times, by
1 contributor -
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Systems:
Sections:
Synonyms:
- nasopalatine artery
- artery of epistaxis
The sphenopalatine artery, formerly known as the nasopalatine artery, is the terminal branch of the maxillary artery that is the main supply to the nasal cavity. It is colloquially know as the artery of epistaxis given its common involvement in cases of nose bleeds. It is a major contributor to the rich arterial plexus known as Kiesselbach's plexus on the anteroinferior nasal septum.
Summary
- origin: continuation of the third part of the maxillary artery as it enters the sphenopalatine foramen
- course: courses anterior from the posterior aspect of the nasal cavity just posterior to the superior meatus
-
branches:
- numerous posterior lateral nasal branches course anteriorly along the lateral nasal wall and turbinates and anastomose with branches of the anterior and posterior ethmoidal arteries
- numerous septal branches course anteriorly along the nasal septum and anastomose with branches of the greater palatine artery
- pharyngeal branch passes through the vomerovaginal canal between the sphenoid body and vomer
-
termination:
- on the nasal septum the artery becomes the posterior septal branch which anastomose with the anterior ethmoidal artery, terminal ascending branch of the greater palatine artery and the septal branch of the superior labial artery of the facial artery
- supply: supplies the mucosa of the majority of the nasal septum and the turbinates and conchae
References
- 1. Last's anatomy, regional and applied. Churchill Livingstone. ISBN:044304662X. Read it at Google Books - Find it at Amazon
- 2. Moore KL, Agur AMR, Dalley AF. Clinically oriented anatomy. LWW. ISBN:1451119453. Read it at Google Books - Find it at Amazon
Incoming Links
Articles:
- Ethmoidal air cells
- Sphenopalatine foramen
- Palatine bone
- Arterial supply of the head and neck
- Kiesselbach plexus
- Pterygopalatine fossa
- Nasal cavity
- Sphenoid sinus
- Branches of maxillary artery (mnemonic)
- Greater palatine artery
- Descending palatine artery
- Maxillary artery
- Nasal septum
- Anastamoses between internal and external carotid arteries
- Vomer
- Vomerovaginal canal
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
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