The supraorbital vein is a

vein Veins are blood vessels in 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 the pulmonary and umbilical veins, both of which carry oxygenate ...

of the

forehead In human anatomy, the forehead is an area of the head bounded by three features, two of the skull and one of the scalp. The top of the forehead is marked by the hairline, the edge of the area where hair on the scalp grows. The bottom of the fore ...

. It communicates with the frontal branch of the superficial temporal vein. It passes through the supraorbital notch, and merges with the

angular vein The angular vein is a vein of the face. 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 lab ...

to form the

superior ophthalmic vein The superior ophthalmic vein is a vein of the orbit that drains venous blood from structures of the upper orbit. It is fromed by the union of the angular vein, and supraorbital vein. It passes backwards within the orbit alongside the ophthalmic ...

. The supraorbital vein helps to drain blood from the

eyebrow An eyebrow is an area of short hairs above each Human eye, eye that follows the shape of the lower margin of the Supraorbital ridge, brow ridges of some mammals. In humans, eyebrows serve two main functions: first, human communication, communica ...

, and upper eyelid.

Structure

The supraorbital vein begins on the

, where it communicates with the frontal branch of the superficial temporal vein. It runs downward superficial to the

frontalis muscle The frontalis muscle () is a muscle which covers parts of the forehead of the skull. Some sources consider the frontalis muscle to be a distinct muscle. However, Terminologia Anatomica currently classifies it as part of the occipitofrontalis muscl ...

. It merges with the

to form the

. Previous to its junction with the angular vein, it passes through the supraorbital notch into the

orbit In celestial mechanics, an orbit 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 object or position in space such a ...

around the

eye Eyes are organs of the visual system. They provide living organisms with vision, the ability to receive and process visual detail, as well as enabling several photo response functions that are independent of vision. Eyes detect light and conv ...

. As this vessel passes through the notch, it receives the frontal

diploic vein The diploic veins are large, thin-walled valveless veins that channel in the diploë between the inner and outer layers of the cortical bone in the skull. They are lined by a single layer of endothelium supported by elastic tissue. They develop ...

through a

foramen In anatomy and osteology, a foramen (;Entry "foramen"
in

at the bottom of the notch.

Function

The supraorbital vein helps to drain blood from the

, and upper eyelid.

Additional images

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

References

{{circulatory-stub Veins of the head and neck