Ophthalmic nerve

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Nerve: Ophthalmic nerve

Oblique section through the cavernous sinus.

Nerves of the orbit, and the ciliary ganglion. Side view.
Latin	n. ophthalmicus
Gray's	subject #200 887
Innervates
From	trigeminal nerve
To
MeSH	A08.800.800.120.760.650

The ophthalmic nerve is one of the three branches of the trigeminal nerve, the fifth cranial nerve. Like the maxillary branch of the trigeminal nerve, the ophthalmic branch carries sensory fibers only. The ophthalmic nerve passes through the cavernous sinus and its nasociliary branch exits the skull through the superior orbital fissure.

Branches

Nasociliary nerve
- sensory root of ciliary ganglion
- posterior ethmodial nerve
- long ciliary nerve
- infratrochlear nerve
- anterior ethmoidal nerve
lacrimal nerve
frontal nerve
- supratrochlear nerve
- supraorbital nerve

Path

The ophthalmic nerve supplies branches to the cornea, ciliary body, and iris; to the lacrimal gland and conjunctiva; to the part of the mucous membrane of the nasal cavity; and to the skin of the eyelids, eyebrow, forehead, and nose.

It is the smallest of the three divisions of the trigeminal, and arises from the upper part of the semilunar ganglion as a short, flattened band, about 2.5 cm. long, which passes forward along the lateral wall of the cavernous sinus, below the oculomotor and trochlear nerves; just before entering the orbit, through the superior orbital fissure, it divides into three branches, lacrimal, frontal, and nasociliary.

The ophthalmic nerve is joined by filaments from the cavernous plexus of the sympathetic, and communicates with the oculomotor, trochlear, and abducent nerves; it gives off a recurrent (meningeal) filament which passes between the layers of the tentorium.

Additional images

This article was originally based on an entry from a public domain edition of Gray's Anatomy. As such, some of the information contained herein may be outdated. Please edit the article if this is the case, and feel free to remove this notice when it is no longer relevant.