Female Medial Palpebral Commissure, Lateral View

Description

Seen from a lateral perspective, the female medial palpebral commissure (medial canthus) brings the upper and lower eyelids together at the medial orbital rim, with the lid margins converging into the lacrimal lake. The lacrimal caruncle sits medially within the canthal angle, flanked laterally by the plica semilunaris as the conjunctival folds sweep posteriorly toward the globe. Along the posterior lid margin near the medial canthus, the superior and inferior lacrimal puncta align on their papillae, positioned to face the tear meniscus rather than the skin surface. Small structure, big consequences. This orientation is where tear drainage anatomy either works or fails: the puncta and canaliculi depend on the apposition of the medial lid margin and the tension of the medial canthal tendon for the lacrimal pump during blinking, so subtle malposition translates into epiphora. Lateral viewing helps clarify the anterior versus posterior lamella relationship at the canthus, a point that matters during repair of medial eyelid lacerations, canalicular injury, or when planning correction of involutional ectropion and punctal stenosis. It also supports teaching the difference between the medial canthal angle and the lacrimal caruncle, structures that patients often misidentify as a “growth” when inflamed. Use this artwork in ophthalmology and facial anatomy courses to anchor discussions of the lacrimal drainage pathway, canthal anatomy, and the surface landmarks used in oculoplastic surgery notes and patient education sheets. It also fits cleanly into textbooks or atlases covering eyelid trauma, medial canthoplasty, or clinical examination of the inner canthus in adult female patients. Anatomical accuracy verified by SciePro's Medical Advisory Board.