Definition

Noun: * A small vein that drains blood from the lacrimal gland (the gland that produces tears) and empties into the superior ophthalmic vein, a larger vein located in the eye socket.

Usage

The term "lacrimal vein" is used exclusively in anatomical, medical, and biological contexts to describe this specific blood vessel. It is a precise scientific term.

Examples

• Anatomy Text:
• Medical Report:
• Surgical Note:

Advanced Usage

• Clinical Context: In conditions like orbital cellulitis or thrombosis, the patency (openness) of the lacrimal vein and other orbital veins may be assessed via imaging.
• Anatomical Variation: Medical literature may note variations in the drainage pattern of the lacrimal vein, such as it sometimes emptying into the inferior ophthalmic vein instead.

Variants and Related Words

• Venae lacrimales: This is the official Latin (anatomical) term for the lacrimal veins.
• Lacrimal artery: The paired artery that supplies oxygenated blood the lacrimal gland.
• Lacrimal gland: The exocrine gland that the lacrimal vein drains.
• Superior ophthalmic vein: The larger vein into which the lacrimal vein typically empties.

Synonyms

There are no true common-language synonyms for this precise anatomical structure. In technical writing, it may be referred to descriptively as: * The vein of the lacrimal gland. * The tear gland vein (this is a very informal and non-standard description).

Related Phrases

• Venous drainage of the orbit: This phrase describes the entire system of veins, including the lacrimal vein, that drain blood from the eye socket.
• Orbital vasculature: Refers to all the blood vessels (arteries and veins) within the orbit, encompassing the lacrimal vein.

Noun

1. drains the lacrimal gland; empties into the superior ophthalmic vein