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Topic

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Supraorbital artery

The supraorbital artery is a key branch of the ophthalmic artery, supplying blood to the forehead, scalp, and upper eyelid regions. It travels through the orbit, exits via the supraorbital foramen or notch, and plays a crucial role in vascularizing the forehead and anterior scalp. Its identification is clinically important in both radiology and surgical procedures involving the upper face.

Synonyms

  • Arteria supraorbitalis

  • Supraorbital branch of ophthalmic artery

Function

  • Supplies oxygenated blood to the forehead and scalp

  • Provides vascularization to the upper eyelid and parts of the frontal bone

  • Important collateral blood supply in cases of facial or orbital trauma

MRI Appearance

  • T1-weighted images: Appears as a flow void (dark linear structure) due to rapidly flowing blood within the artery

  • T2-weighted images: Also seen as a flow void (dark), maintaining the same signal characteristics as on T1

  • STIR (Short Tau Inversion Recovery): Maintains low signal (dark appearance) as the vessel is not fatty or edematous tissue; vessel walls and lumen are generally not visualized unless pathology is present

CT Appearance

  • Non-contrast CT: Usually not directly visualized due to small caliber; may be seen as a small linear density exiting the supraorbital foramen

  • CT Angiography (CTA): Appears as a small, enhancing vessel arising from the ophthalmic artery, running superiorly and anteriorly toward the forehead

MRI images

Supraorbital artery mri image