Ophthalmic veins
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| Vein: Ophthalmic veins | ||
|---|---|---|
| Veins of orbit. | ||
| The sinuses at the base of the skull. (Superior ophthalmic vein labeled at top right.) | ||
| Latin | vena ophthalmica | |
| Gray's | subject #171 658 | |
The ophthalmic veins, two in number, superior and inferior, are devoid of valves.
[edit] Superior Ophthalmic Vein
The Superior Ophthalmic Vein (v. ophthalmica superior) begins at the inner angle of the orbit in a vein named the nasofrontal which communicates anteriorly with the angular vein; it pursues the same course as the ophthalmic artery, and receives tributaries corresponding to the branches of that vessel.
Forming a short single trunk, it passes between the two heads of the Rectus lateralis and through the medial part of the superior orbital fissure, and ends in the cavernous sinus.
[edit] Inferior Ophthalmic Vein
The Inferior Ophthalmic Vein (v. ophthalmica inferior) begins in a venous net-work at the forepart of the floor and medial wall of the orbit; it receives some veins from the Rectus inferior, Obliquus inferior, lacrimal sac and eyelids, runs backward in the lower part of the orbit and divides into two branches.
One of these passes through the inferior orbital fissure and joins the pterygoid venous plexus, while the other enters the cranium through the superior orbital fissure and ends in the cavernous sinus, either by a separate opening, or more frequently in common with the superior ophthalmic vein.
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 As such, some of the information contained herein may be outdated.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.
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