The lacrimal gland is located in the superotemporal portion of the orbit and is housed in the lacrimal fossa formed by the frontal and zygomatic bones (Singh and Basu, 2020, Paulsen and Waschke, 2023). It is supplied with blood by the lacrimal artery, which usually arises from the ophthalmic artery and less commonly from the middle meningeal artery (Ducasse et al., 1984, Kluckman et al., 2015, Erdogmus and Govsa, 2005). Older studies (Ducasse et al., 1984; Lippert and Pabst, 1985; Erdogmus and Govsa, 2005; Kluckman et al., 2015) on the blood supply to the lacrimal artery have focused on the origin of the lacrimal artery and its course to the lacrimal gland indicating that the lacrimal artery arises from the ophthalmic artery in nearly 97%, arises from the ophthalmic and meningeal arteries in < 1% and is a direct branch of the meningeal artery in < 2%. Vascular cast study of the lacrimal gland by Tucker and Lambert (1998) reported division of the lacrimal artery into medial and lateral branch, 2–5.5 mm before entering the lacrimal gland. The branching pattern of the lacrimal artery within the gland showed numerous branches supplying the lobes and adjacent structures. However, the course/location of these branches with respect to the gland tissue could not be visualized as the tissue was dissolved in potassium hydroxide for obtaining the vascular cast. The aponeurosis of the superior palpebrae levator muscle (LPSA) divides the lacrimal gland into two lobes - the orbital and palpebral lobes (Singh and Basu, 2020, Paulsen and Waschke, 2023). In our recent work, we studied the microscopic anatomy of the lacrimal gland with 7 T MRI and cinematic imaging and found a vessel running along the LPSA via gland isthmus. In addition, filmic imaging revealed a blood vessel originating from the main lacrimal artery just 5 mm posterior to the hilus and running across the isthmus to the palpebral lobe (Singh et al., 2023).

In order to gain even more detailed insights into the blood supply and vascular distribution between the two lacrimal gland lobes, we injected contrast medium into the lacrimal gland artery in a body donor in the present study. The anatomy of the vascular distribution within the lacrimal gland is of great importance in the context of orbitotomies for resection of pathological gland segments, gland removal surgery and possible segmental lacrimal gland transplantation for severe cases of dry eye disease (Holtmann et al., 2023). In addition, a comprehensive understanding of the vasculature is required for a surgical approach to the individual lobes of the lacrimal gland. In the present study, we investigated the possibility of delineating the intraglandular branches of the lacrimal arteries and their supply patterns using a novel technique of contrast-enhanced micro-CT studies. For further verification, microscopic dissection was performed to corroborate the CT findings.