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Venous drainage of the face
S Onishi1, N Imanishi2, Y Yoshimura1
1Department of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Fujita Health University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan.
Journal of Plastic, Reconstructive & Aesthetic Surgery : JPRAS
|January 10, 2017
Summary
Facial veins form a significant loop in most cadavers, collecting blood from the skin. This facial venous network drains into deeper veins via the superficial temporal and facial veins.
Area of Science:
- Anatomy
- Vascular Anatomy
- Facial Anatomy
Background:
- Understanding facial venous anatomy is crucial for surgical procedures and understanding facial swelling.
- Previous studies have described various facial vein patterns, but a consistent main drainage pathway remains debated.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the primary venous drainage pathway of the face.
- To describe the anatomical variations of the facial venous loop.
Main Methods:
- Examination of venous anatomy in 12 fresh human cadavers.
- Acquisition of venograms and arteriovenograms following contrast medium injection.
Main Results:
- A prominent venous loop, formed by the facial, supratrochlear, and superficial temporal veins, was identified as the main facial trunk vein in 8 out of 12 cadavers.
- This loop vein generally did not parallel facial arteries.
- A polygonal venous network in the skin, formed by cutaneous branches of the loop vein, collected dermal blood and drained into the loop vein.
Conclusions:
- The facial venous loop serves as a primary drainage system for the facial dermis.
- Blood flows from the dermal polygonal network into the loop vein, then exits the face via the superficial temporal and facial veins, and communicates with deep venous systems.
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