Dorsal ophthalmic artery

Initially, at early embryonic stages, the ventral and dorsal aortas communicate by a certain number of arterial bridges, the aortic arches (1 to 4 in the craniocaudal direction). Other embryonic arteries are the primitive maxillary artery, dorsal ophthalmic artery, ventral ophthalmic artery, anterior cerebral artery and the longitudinal neural arteries (Fig. 18.1). 

Embryologically, the dorsal ophthalmic artery, the stapedial artery, the trigeminal artery and the primitive maxillary artery are involved in this anastomosis. 

The intraconal space is defined by the rectus muscles and their intercormecting septa. It contains the optic nerve, motor nerves, some blood vessels, and intraconal orbital fat tissue. Among the intraconal blood vessels, the ophthalmic artery, which branches off from the intracranial internal carotid artery, enters through the optic foramen. Near the orbital apex, the central retinal artery takes off from the ophthalmic artery and runs caudal to the optic nerve, whose dura mater it usually enters approximately 1 cm dorsal to the eyeball. 

During the subsequent stages, some of these arteries undergo modifications through regression in the regions of the ventral ophthalmic artery, dorsal aorta and the ventral portion of the first two aortic arches. 

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