Anatomical and surgical study of the sphenopalatine artery branches

The sphenopalatine artery gives off two main branches: the posterior lateral nasal branch and the posterior septal branch. From 2007 to 2012 17 patients were treated with cauterization and/or ligature of the sphenopalatine artery with endonasal endoscopic approach. 90 nasal dissections were performed in 45 adult cadaveric heads. We evaluated the number of branches emerging from the sphenopalatine foramen and the presence of an accessory foramen. In the surgery group, we observed a single trunk in 76 % of the patients (13/17) and a double trunk in 24 % (4/17). We found an accessory foramen in four cases. We obtained a successful result in bleeding control in 88 % of the cases. In the cadaver dissection group, 55 nasal cavities had a single arterial trunk (61 %), 30 had 2 arterial trunks (33 %) and in only 5 nasal fossae we observed 3 arterial trunks (6 %). We were able to dissect four accessory foramina. We suggest that in most cases only one or two branches are found in the sphenopalatine foramen.