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Lacrimal artery

The lacrimal artery is a vital branch of the ophthalmic artery that supplies the lacrimal gland, eyelids, conjunctiva, and adjacent orbital structures. It is an essential vessel in orbital vascular anatomy, relevant for radiologists and clinicians in diagnosing orbital and periorbital pathology.

Synonyms

  • Arteria lacrimalis

  • Branch of the ophthalmic artery

  • Lacrimal branch

Function

  • Supplies oxygenated blood to the lacrimal gland, responsible for tear production

  • Provides branches to the eyelids (lateral palpebral arteries)

  • Vascularizes portions of the conjunctiva and adjacent orbital tissues

  • Contributes to anastomoses with branches of the external carotid artery, ensuring collateral circulation

MRI Appearance

  • T1-Weighted MRI

    • The lacrimal artery typically appears as a small flow void (signal loss) within the lacrimal gland region or along the lateral orbital wall due to its rapid blood flow.

    • Surrounding soft tissues of the lacrimal gland display intermediate signal intensity.

  • T2-Weighted MRI

    • The artery itself continues to appear as a flow void, seen as a small dark tubular structure within or adjacent to the lacrimal gland.

    • Adjacent orbital fat shows high signal intensity, making the vessel more conspicuous by contrast.

  • STIR (Short Tau Inversion Recovery) MRI

    • The lacrimal artery remains as a hypointense (dark) linear structure due to flow void.

    • STIR suppresses surrounding orbital fat, which can enhance visualization of the vessel against the background.

CT Appearance

  • On contrast-enhanced CT, the lacrimal artery may be visualized as a thin, enhancing linear or tubular structure at the superolateral aspect of the orbit, close to or within the lacrimal gland.

  • On non-contrast CT, the artery is usually not separately visualized due to its small size, unless enlarged or involved in vascular malformations.

MRI images

Lacrimal artery mri image