Quick Facts
Origin: Arises on the face, close to the lower eyelid, by the union of several small tributaries.
Course: Passes posteriorly in the orbital floor to empty into the pterygoid venous plexus.
Tributaries: Anterior and middle superior alveolar veins.
Drainage: Inferior orbit and its adjacent facial structures.
Related parts of the anatomy
Origin
The infraorbital vein arises on the face, close to the lower eyelid, by the union of several small venous tributaries.
Course
Accompanied by the infraorbital artery and the infraorbital nerve, the infraorbital vein passes posteriorly through the infraorbital foramen, infraorbital canal, and infraorbital groove. It drains through the inferior orbital fissure into the pterygoid venous plexus.
Tributaries
The infraorbital vein receives the anterior and middle superior alveolar veins. It also communicates with the inferior ophthalmic and facial veins.
Structures Drained
The infraorbital vein drains the inferior orbit and its adjacent facial structures, including lower eyelid, part of the cheek, the side of the external nose, and the upper lip.
Learn more about this topic from other Elsevier products
Vein
A venous sinus is a vein with a thin wall of endothelium that is devoid of smooth muscle to regulate its diameter.
