Corpus: Superior labial artery
from Latin: arteria - artery, labium - lip
1. Definition
The superior labial artery is a branch of the facial artery that supplies the upper lip with arterial blood.
2. Course
The superior labial artery runs within the tissue between the labial mucosa and the orbicularis oris muscle, following the lower edge of the upper lip. It anastomoses with its counterpart from the opposite side of the face.
The superior labial artery primarily supplies the upper lip and gives off 2 to 3 branches along its course that ascend towards the nose. One branch runs towards the nasal septum, supplying the area known as Kiesselbach's plexus (locus Kiesselbachi), while another branch supplies the nostril.