A 64 year old man, has had recurring nasal hemorrhages following surgery to remove nasal polyps. To control the bleeding, the surgeon is considering ligating the primary aerial supply to the nasal mucosa. This aery is a direct branch of which of the following aeries?
High-Yield Explanation
The major source of blood supply to the nasal mucosa is the sphenopalatine aery, which is the terminal branch of the maxillary aery. The sphenopalatine aery enters the nasal cavity from the pterygopalatine fossa by passing through the sphenopalatine foramen in the lateral wall of the nasal cavity.