The nasal cavity receives blood from three sources:

• Sphenopalatine and greater palatine arteries, branches of the maxillary artery
• Anterior and posterior ethmoidal arteries, branches of the ophthalmic artery
• Superior labial artery, branch of the facial artery

CLINICAL CORNER

Little’s area is a site of anastomoses between the nasal arteries. Nosebleed commonly occurs here due to drying out and fingernail trauma.

Veins follow the course of the arteries and drain into the facial, ophthalmic, and sphenopalatine veins. The last forms part of the pterygoid plexus of veins in the infratemporal fossa.