Investigation into the ophthalmic artery and its branches by superselective angiography

Abstract

Background: The vascular anatomy of orbit is highly complex, and the main blood supply to the orbit is via the ophthalmic artery, which is a branch of the internal carotid artery. The purpose of this study was to determine the morphometry of the ophthalmic artery and its branches by superselective angiography in a large series of pediatric patients.

Methods: We evaluated 134 angiographies performed on children with intraocular retinoblastoma undergoing intra-arterial chemotherapy. The origin, diameter, and angiographic visibility percentages of the ophthalmic artery and its branches were examined according to age group and sex.

Results: The ophthalmic artery originated 97.8% from the internal carotid artery and 2.2% from the middle meningeal artery. The mean diameter of ophthalmic artery was measured 0.76 ± 0.14 mm in girls, 0.80 ± 0.15 mm in boys and 0.79 ± 0.15 mm in general. The posterior ciliary, lacrimal, inferior muscular, and anterior ethmoidal arteries had a higher angiographic visibility percentages (> 85%) than the other OA branches. Only the diameter of the dorsal nasal artery showed a significant correlation with age. The supratrochlear and posterior ciliary arteries showed statistically significant relationship with sex.

Conclusions: Present study will make a substantial contribution to the pediatric literature about the ophthalmic artery and its branches. A better understanding of ophthalmic artery morphology can help surgeons and neurointerventional radiologists to avoid possible severe complications during embolization, intra-arterial chemotherapy, cosmetic procedures, endonasal and orbital surgeries.

Keywords: anatomy; angiographic visibility; ophthalmic artery; orbit; superselective angiography.

Figure 1.

Internal carotid artery angiography in the lateral projection shows the courses of the ICA and OA. (ICA: Internal carotid artery, OA: Ophthalmic artery, White arrows: OA course, Yellow arrow: OA origin point.).

Figure 2.

Superselective angiography of OA in the lateral projection shows the courses of the OA and its branches. (White arrows: OA course, OA: Ophthalmic artery.).

Figure 3.

Superselective angiography of OA in the ipsilateral oblique projection shows the courses of the OA, and posterior and anterior ethmoidal arteries. (White arrows: OA course, OA: Ophthalmic artery).