Ciliary arteries

Artery: Ciliary arteries
The arteries of the choroid and iris. The greater part of the sclera has been removed.
Latin	aa. ciliares
Gray's	subject #146 571

The ciliary arteries are divisible into three groups, the long posterior, short posterior, and the anterior.

• The short posterior ciliary arteries from six to twelve in number, arise from the ophthalmic as it crosses the optic nerve.

• The long posterior ciliary arteries, two in number, pierce the posterior part of the sclera at some little distance from the optic nerve.

• The anterior ciliary arteries are derived from the muscular branches of the ophthalmic artery.

Additional images

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  The ophthalmic artery and its branches

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  Iris, front view.

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

This article was originally based on an entry from a public domain edition of Gray's Anatomy. As such, some of the information contained within it may be outdated.