2020–2021 BCSC Basic and Clinical Science Course™
7 Oculofacial Plastic and Orbital Surgery
Part I: Orbit
Chapter 1: Orbital Anatomy
Soft Tissues
Lacrimal Gland
The lacrimal gland is composed of a larger orbital lobe and a smaller palpebral lobe. The gland is located within a fossa of the frontal bone in the superotemporal orbit. Ducts from both lobes pass through the palpebral lobe and empty into the upper conjunctival fornix. Frequently, a portion of the palpebral lobe is visible on slit-lamp examination with the upper eyelid everted. Biopsy is generally not performed on the palpebral lobe or temporal conjunctival fornix because it can interfere with lacrimal drainage. The orbital lobe of the lacrimal gland may prolapse inferiorly out of the fossa and present as a mass in the lateral upper eyelid.
Excerpted from BCSC 2020-2021 series: Section 10 - Glaucoma. For more information and to purchase the entire series, please visit https://www.aao.org/bcsc.