Artery: Central retinal artery
The ophthalmic artery and its branches. (Central retinal artery visible at center.)
Interior of posterior half of bulb of left eye. The veins are darker in appearance than the arteries. (Central retinal artery visible but not labeled.)
Latin	arteria centralis retinae
Gray's	subject #146 571
Supplies	retina
Source	ophthalmic artery
Vein	central retinal vein
MeSH	Retinal+Artery

The central retinal artery (retinal artery) branches off the ophthalmic artery, running inferior to the optic nerve within its dural sheath to the eyeball.

Contents 1 Course 2 Supplies 3 Pathology 4 Additional images 5 External links

[edit] Course

It pierces the optic nerve close to the eyeball, sending branches over the internal surface of the retina, and these terminal branches are the only blood supply to the larger part of it.

The central part of the retina where the light rays are focussed after passing through the pupil and the lens is a circular area called the macula. The center of this circular area is the fovea. The fovea and a small area surrounding it are not supplied by the central retinal artery or its branches, but instead by the choroid.

[edit] Supplies

The central retinal artery supplies all the nerve fibers that form the optic nerve that carries the visual information to the occipital lobe cerebral cortex, including those that reach over the fovea.

[edit] Pathology

Thus if the central retinal artery gets occluded, there is complete loss of vision in that eye even though the fovea is not affected. The entire retina (with the exception of the fovea) becomes pale and swollen and opaque while the central fovea still appears reddish (this is because the choroid color shows through). This is the basis of the famous "Cherry red spot" seen on examination of the retina on funduscopy of a central retinal artery occlusion (CRAO).

In some cases - approximately 20% of the population - there is a branch of the ciliary circulation called the cilio-retinal artery which supplies the retina between the macula and the optic nerve, including the nerve fibers from the foveal photoreceptors. If this artery is present, the central vision will be preserved even in case of CRAO.

[edit] Additional images

Horizontal section of the eyeball.

The terminal portion of the optic nerve and its entrance into the eyeball, in horizontal section.

Eye vessels

However it should be remembered that the Cilio retinal artery itself is a branch of the Short Posterior Ciliary Arteries which is derived from the Opthalmic Artery. Therefore its possible for the cilio retinal artery itself to occlude causing significant visual loss in the perfused macula region (surrounding visual field will remain intact).

[edit] External links

• Diagram at suncoastretina.com
• emerg/777 at eMedicine ("Retinal artery occlusion")
• Central+retinal+artery at eMedicine Dictionary

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v • d • e List of arteries of head and neck (TA A12.2.05-08, GA 6.549) CC EC sup. thyroid superior laryngeal · sternocleidomastoid branch · infrahyoid branch · cricothyroid branch · glandular branches asc. pharyngeal posterior meningeal · pharyngeal branches · inferior tympanic lingual suprahyoid · dorsal lingual · deep lingual · sublingual facial cervical branches (ascending palatine, tonsillar, submental, glandular) · facial branches (inferior labial, superior labial / nasal septum, lateral nasal, angular) occipital sternocleidomastoid · meningeal · occipital · auricular · descending post. auricular stylomastoid · stapedial · auricular · occipital sup. temporal transverse facial · middle temporal (zygomatico-orbital) · anterior auricular · frontal · parietal maxillary 1st part / mandibular anterior tympanic · deep auricular · middle meningeal (superior tympanic, petrosal) · accessory meningeal · inferior alveolar (mental, mylohyoid) 2nd part / pterygoid to muscles of mastication (deep temporal, pterygoid, masseteric) · buccal 3rd part / pterygopalatine posterior superior alveolar · infraorbital (anterior superior alveolar) · descending palatine (greater palatine, lesser palatine) · artery of the pterygoid canal · sphenopalatine (posterior septal branches, posterior lateral nasal) · pharyngeal IC cervical carotid sinus petrous Vidian · caroticotympanic cavernous/ ophthalmic orbital group: posterior ethmoidal · anterior ethmoidal (anterior septal, anterior lateral nasal, anterior meningeal) · lacrimal (lateral palpebral) · medial palpebral · terminal (supraorbital, supratrochlear, dorsal nasal) ocular group: central retinal · ciliary (short posterior, long posterior, anterior) · hypophysial (superior, inferior) Willis/Cerebral ACA (anterior communicating) · MCA (anterolateral central, Orbitofrontal artery, Prefrontal artery, Superior terminal branch, Inferior terminal branch, Anterior temporal branch) · posterior communicating · anterior choroidal SC vertebral artery meningeal · spinal (posterior, anterior) · basilar: pontine · labyrinthine · cerebellar (AICA, SCA, PICA)  · cerebral (PCA) thyrocervical trunk inferior thyroid inferior laryngeal · tracheal · esophageal · ascending cervical · pharyngeal · glandular branches transverse cervical superficial branch · deep branch / dorsal scapular suprascapular acromial branch costocervical trunk deep cervical · Supreme Intercostal artery