Nasolacrimal drainage 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 in the 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
- nasolacrimal drainage apparatus obstruction
-
nasolacrimal tumors 3
- squamous cell papillomas and carcinomas
- transitional cell papillomas and carcinomas
- oncocytomas
- adenocarcinoma
- adenoid cystic carcinoma
- malignant melanomas
Related Radiopaedia articles
Anatomy: Head and neck
- skeleton of the head and neck
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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
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facial bones
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cranial vault
- muscles of the head and neck
- muscles of the tongue (mnemonic)
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muscles of facial expression
- occipitalis 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
- malaris muscle
- levator anguli oris 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 superior muscle
- incisivus inferior muscle
- muscle of mastication:
- elevators, retractors and evertors of the upper lip
- muscles of the middle ear
- orbital muscles
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- pharyngeal muscles
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deep spaces of the neck
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arterial supply
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common carotid artery
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common carotid artery
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arterial supply
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cranial nerves
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trigeminal nerve (CN V) (mnemonic)
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- ophthalmic division
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- mandibular division
- abducens nerve (CN VI)
- facial nerve (CN VII)
-
vestibulocochlear nerve (CN VIII)
- vestibular ganglion (Scarpa's ganglion)
- glossopharyngeal nerve (CN IX)
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vagus nerve (CN X)
- superior laryngeal nerve
- recurrent laryngeal nerve (inferior laryngeal nerve)
- (spinal) accessory nerve (CN XI)
- hypoglossal nerve (CN XII)
- parasympathetic ganglia of the head and neck
- greater occipital nerve
- third occipital nerve
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cervical plexus
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ansa cervicalis
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- cutaneous branches
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cranial nerves
- lymphatic drainage of the head and neck
- embryological development of the head and neck