title: Anatomical and surgical study of the sphenopalatine artery branches.
abstract: The sphenopalatine artery gives off two main branches: the posterior lateral nasal branch and the posterior septal branch. From 2007 to 2012 17 patients were treated with cauterization and/or ligature of the sphenopalatine artery with endonasal endoscopic approach. 90 nasal dissections were performed in 45 adult cadaveric heads. We evaluated the number of branches emerging from the sphenopalatine foramen and the presence of an accessory foramen. In the surgery group, we observed a single trunk in 76% of the patients (13/17) and a double trunk in 24% (4/17). We found an accessory foramen in four cases. We obtained a successful result in bleeding control in 88% of the cases. In the cadaver dissection group, 55 nasal cavities had a single arterial trunk (61%), 30 had 2 arterial trunks (33%) and in only 5 nasal fossae we observed 3 arterial trunks (6%). We were able to dissect four accessory foramina. We suggest that in most cases only one or two branches are found in the sphenopalatine foramen.
authors.affiliation: Department of Otolaryngology/Head and Neck Surgery, Hospital de La Santa Creu i Sant Pau, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain, jgras@santpau.cat.
authors.forename: Juan R
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Gras-Cabrerizo
authors.forename: Joan M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Ademá-Alcover
authors.forename: Juan R
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Gras-Albert
authors.forename: Katarzyna
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kolanczak
authors.forename: Joan R
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Montserrat-Gili
authors.forename: Rosa
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Mirapeix-Lucas
authors.forename: Francisco Sanchez
authors.initials: FS
authors.lastname: Del Campo
authors.forename: Humbert
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Massegur-Solench
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002102:Cadaver; D002425:Cautery; D015331:Cohort Studies; D004210:Dissection; D004724:Endoscopy; D004844:Epistaxis / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008026:Ligation; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009296:Nasal Cavity / Q000098:blood supply* / Q000473:pathology*; D009300:Nasal Septum / Q000098:blood supply* / Q000473:pathology*; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D055815:Young Adult