Ophthalmic artery

Last revised by Frank Gaillard ◉ ◈ on 8 Jun 2022

Citation, DOI, disclosures and article data

Citation:

Gaillard F, Yu Jin T, Mellam Y, et al. Ophthalmic artery. Reference article, Radiopaedia.org (Accessed on 08 Jun 2023) https://doi.org/10.53347/rID-4764

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.53347/rID-4764

Permalink:

https://radiopaedia.org/articles/4764

rID:

4764

Article created:

9 Oct 2008, Frank Gaillard ◉ ◈

Disclosures:

At the time the article was created Frank Gaillard had no recorded disclosures.

View Frank Gaillard's current disclosures

Last revised:

8 Jun 2022, Frank Gaillard ◉ ◈

Disclosures:

At the time the article was last revised Frank Gaillard had the following disclosures:

Radiopaedia Australia Pty Ltd, Founder and CEO (ongoing)
Biogen Australia Pty Ltd, Investigator-Initiated Research Grant for CAD software development in multiple sclerosis. (past)

These were assessed during peer review and were determined to not be relevant to the changes that were made.

View Frank Gaillard's current disclosures

Revisions:

36 times, by 14 contributors - see full revision history and disclosures

Systems:

Vascular, Central Nervous System

Sections:

Anatomy

Tags:

anatomy rewrite, eye, refs, orbit

The ophthalmic artery is a branch of the supraclinoid (C6) segment of the internal carotid artery.

Gross anatomy

Origin

The ophthalmic artery arises medial to the anterior clinoid process as the internal carotid artery exits the cavernous sinus. It originates from the antero- or supero-medial surface of the internal carotid artery.

Course

The ophthalmic artery passes into the orbit via the optic canal. It has numerous branches which are often grouped into those that supply the orbital content and those that supply the globe and related structures.

Termination

The two terminal branches of the ophthalmic artery are the supratrochlear artery and the dorsal nasal artery.

Branches

Orbital group

Ocular group

central retinal artery: although rarely seen, the choroidal blush should be seen on all angiograms
long posterior ciliary arteries
short posterior ciliary arteries
anterior ciliary artery
muscular artery

A useful mnemonic to remember the branches of the ophthalmic artery is:

DR MCLESSI

Variant anatomy

Embryologically, the orbit has dual supply from the supraorbital branch (which later becomes the middle meningeal artery) and from the ophthalmic artery but there can often be variation:

communicating branch between the ophthalmic and middle meningeal artery is present; most frequently passes through the superior orbital fissure (up to 50%)
when multiple branches are present (15%) then an additional small foramen (or multiple foramina) lateral to the superior orbital fissure are present (foramen of Hyrtl or the meningo-orbital foramen)
- the connecting branch is known as sphenoidal artery or recurrent meningeal artery or orbital branch of the middle meningeal branch
meningo-ophthalmic artery: regression of proximal ophthalmic artery and entire orbit is supplied by the middle meningeal artery

These variants are important to recognize as embolization of a tumor supplied by the external carotid artery (e.g. meningioma or hemangiopericytoma) can result in blindness. This is reported as the most common variant origin and in this case, the ophthalmic artery enters the orbit via the superior orbital fissure or via its own canal.

Variations in origin or branching patterns may be common:

middle meningeal artery can arise from the ophthalmic artery
ophthalmic artery origin from the middle meningeal artery, middle cerebral artery or posterior communicating artery
persistent dorsal ophthalmic artery (cavernous segment origin) is less common