Sphenopalatine artery

The nasal septum is supplied posteriorly by the sphenopalatine artery, superiorly by the anterior ethmoid artery, and antero-inferiorly by the superior labial branch of the facial artery. In addition, the inferior and lateral walls of the nasal cavity are supplied by the palatine and ethmoid artery, respectively, whereas the remainder of the blood supply to the nasal cavity comes from the sphenopalatine artery. 

Other branches of the maxillary artery to the orbit include the anterior deep temporal, the infraorbital and the sphenopalatine arteries. These arteries correspond to remnants of vessels arising form the infraorbital artery of the vertebrates, witch gives rise to the orbital artery. 

The sphenopalatine artery, the terminal branch of the internal maxillary artery enters the nasal cavity where it is divided into a septal, medial branch and a lateral branch that supplies the conchae. These two arteries have a distinctive appearance on the angiographic views. These branches usually anastomose with the anterior and posterior ethmoidal arteries, which arise from the ophthalmic artery system, at the anterior and posterior ethmoidal cells, and eventually connects the external and internal carotid... 

The distal internal maxillary artery is the main arterial trunk supplying lesions in the nasomaxillary area (9,10,23]. Vascular supply is via the sphenopalatine artery of the internal maxillary artery, the alar and septal branches of the facial artery. 

In its distal portion, the septal artery of the sphenopalatine artery abandons the nasopalatine artery that anastomoses with the terminal branches of the greater palatine arterythrough the distalhardpalate. The arterial supply to the inferior and anterior portion of the nasal cavity is thus accomplished. 

The nasal cavity is therefore a difficult area to control by endovascular procedures because of the complex arterial supply belonging to two systems the internal carotid artery via the ethmoidal arteries, and the external carotid system mainly via the sphenopalatine artery. Transarterial approach to this region will mainly use the external carotid artery vascular channels. 

The nasal surface is supplied with a dense network of blood vessels by the external and internal carotid arteries. Blood from the anterior part of the nose is drained through the facial vein, but the nose s main blood supply drains through the sphenopalatine foramen into the pterygoid plexus or via the superior ophthalmic vein... 

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