Abstract PDF Similar Articles

Ankara University Faculty of Medicine Department of Anatomy, Ankara, Turkey Anatomy of the ophthalmic nerve should be well known in order to perform safe surgical intervention to the Parkinson's triangle, the orbit, and for the causes leading to the superior orbital fissure syndrome. Thirty ophthalmic nerves rising from the trigeminal ganglion and course in the cavernous sinus and orbit, from 15 cadavers fixed with 10% formaldehyde solution were examined. The two dural layers of the lateral wall differ; superficial layer is thick and regular, the deep is thin and irregular. The ophthalmic nerve runs between these two layers. The mean length of the nerve from the trigeminal ganglion to superior orbital fissure was 18,12 mm (13 mm - 22 mm) and part of the nerve forming the inferior border of the Parkinson' s triangle was 16,44 mm ( 11 mm - 19 mm). The ophthalmic nerve gives rise the frontal, the lacrimal, and the nasociliary branches, before passing the superior orbital fissure. The frontal branch erosses the annulus of Zinn with the trochlear nerve laterally. The lacrimal branch, runs superiorly over the superior orbital vein. The nasociliary branch runs over the abducens nerve superiorly and between the two parts of the oculomotor nerve. Keywords : Anatomy, cavernous sinus, ophthalmic nerve, orbit