The angular vein is a

vein Veins () are blood vessels in the circulatory system of humans and most other animals that carry blood towards the heart. Most veins carry deoxygenated blood from the tissues back to the heart; exceptions are those of the pulmonary and feta ...

of the

face The face is the front of the head that features the eyes, nose and mouth, and through which animals express many of their emotions. The face is crucial for human identity, and damage such as scarring or developmental deformities may affect th ...

. It is the upper part of the facial vein, above its junction with the superior labial vein. It is formed by the junction of the supratrochlear vein and supraorbital vein, and joins with the superior labial vein. It drains the medial canthus, and parts of the

nose A nose is a sensory organ and respiratory structure in vertebrates. It consists of a nasal cavity inside the head, and an external nose on the face. The external nose houses the nostrils, or nares, a pair of tubes providing airflow through the ...

and the upper lip. It can be a route of spread of infection from the danger triangle of the face to the

cavernous sinus The cavernous sinus within the human head is one of the dural venous sinuses creating a cavity called the lateral sellar compartment bordered by the temporal bone of the skull and the sphenoid bone, lateral to the sella turcica. Structure The ...

Structure

The angular vein is the upper part of the facial vein, above its junction with the superior labial vein. It anastomoses with the supratrochlear vein, and the supraorbital vein. Its connection with the supraorbital vein forms the superior ophthalmic vein that drains through the

orbit In celestial mechanics, an orbit (also known as orbital revolution) is the curved trajectory of an object such as the trajectory of a planet around a star, or of a natural satellite around a planet, or of an artificial satellite around an ...

. This also connects it with the inferior ophthalmic vein and the

. These do not have valves. The angular vein itself may not contain valves. It receives the lateral nasal veins from the ala of the nose, and the inferior palpebral vein. The angular vein lies lateral to the angular nerve. It runs obliquely downward by the side of the nose. It passes under zygomaticus major muscle. It joins with the superior labial vein.

Function

The angular vein drains the medial canthus, and parts of the

and the upper lip.

Clinical significance

The angular vein may be affected by a

thrombus A thrombus ( thrombi) is a solid or semisolid aggregate from constituents of the blood (platelets, fibrin, red blood cells, white blood cells) within the circulatory system during life. A blood clot is the final product of the blood coagulatio ...

. This can create problems for endovascular treatment.

Cavernous sinus thrombosis

Any

infection An infection is the invasion of tissue (biology), tissues by pathogens, their multiplication, and the reaction of host (biology), host tissues to the infectious agent and the toxins they produce. An infectious disease, also known as a transmis ...

of the mouth or face (such as the danger triangle of the face) can spread to the

via the angular veins. This is particularly as the veins are valveless. This can cause

thrombosis Thrombosis () is the formation of a Thrombus, blood clot inside a blood vessel, obstructing the flow of blood through the circulatory system. When a blood vessel (a vein or an artery) is injured, the body uses platelets (thrombocytes) and fib ...

. Squeezing pimples in this area should be avoided.

Additional images

Image:Gray515.png, Bloodvessels of the eyelids, front view. Image:Lateral head anatomy detail.jpg, Lateral head anatomy detail Image:Head ap anatomy.jpg, Head anatomy anterior view

References

External links

* http://www.dartmouth.edu/~humananatomy/figures/chapter_47/47-5.HTM {{Authority control Veins of the head and neck Cardiovascular system Human head and neck