Nose Blood supply
April 25th, 2011 | 
Author: The upper part of the nasal cavity receives its arterial supply from the anterior and posterior ethmoidal branches of the ophthalmic artery, a branch of the internal carotid artery. The sphenopalatine branch of the maxillary artery is distributed to the lower part of the cavity and links up with the septal branch of the superior labial branch of the facial artery on the antero-inferior part of the septum. It is from this zone, just within the vestibule of the nose, that epistaxis occurs in some 90% of cases (Little’s area).
A rich submucous venous plexus drains into the sphenopalatine, facial and ophthalmic veins, and through the latter links up with the cavernous sinus. Small tributaries also pass through the cribriform plate to veins on the undersurface of the orbital lobe of the brain. These connections account for the potential danger of boils and other infections within and adjacent to the nose.