Anatomy of the Ophthalmic Artery: A Review concerning Its Modern Surgical and Clinical Applications.

Adamantios Michalinos,Theodore Troupis,Evangelos Kotsiomitis,Sofia Zogana,Antonios Mazarakis

doi:10.1155/2015/591961

Adamantios Michalinos, Theodore Troupis + Show 3 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.1155/2015/591961

Copy DOI

Abstract

Anatomy of ophthalmic artery has been thoroughly studied and reviewed in many anatomical and surgical textbooks and papers. Issues of interest are its intracranial and extracranial course, its branches, its importance for vision, and its interaction with various intracranial pathologies. Improvement of our understanding about pathophysiology of certain diseases like aneurysm formation, central retinal artery occlusion, and retinoblastoma and also invention of new therapeutic modalities like superselective catheterization, intra-arterial fibrinolysis, and intra-arterial chemotherapy necessitate a reappraisal of its anatomy from a clinical point of view. The aim of this review is to examine clinical anatomy of ophthalmic artery and correlate it with new diagnostic and therapeutic applications.

Highlights

Ophthalmic artery (OA) is the first intracranial branch of internal carotid artery (ICA). It arises soon after ICA emerges from cavernous sinus, follows a short intracranial course, transverses the optic canal, and enters the orbit
The aim of this review is to study the anatomy of OA orientated to its clinical applications
An electronic bibliographic search was conducted in Medline Embase, CINAHL, and Cochrane Library for studies on OA anatomy

Summary

Introduction

Ophthalmic artery (OA) is the first intracranial branch of internal carotid artery (ICA). It arises soon after ICA emerges from cavernous sinus, follows a short intracranial course, transverses the optic canal, and enters the orbit. There it ramifies in a complex pattern and vascularizes the eyeball and periophthalmic tissues. Most critical branch of OA is central retinal artery (CRA) that vascularizes retina and is of critical importance for vision [1]. According to Bouthillier’s classification system, OA is ICA’s 5th branch and belongs to its 6th segment. ICA is divided into its 1st or cervical segment, 2nd or petrous segment that gives origin to caroticotympanic and vidian artery, 3rd or lacerum segment, 4th or cavernous segment that provides meningohypophyseal and inferolateral trunk, 5th or clinoid segment, 6th or ophthalmic segment that gives origin to OA and superior hypophyseal artery, and 7th or communicating segment where ICA, before its final division, gives origin to anterior choroidal and posterior communicating artery [2]

Objectives

Methods

Findings

Conclusion