Central retinal vein


The central retinal vein is a short vein that runs through the optic nerve, leaves the optic nerve 10 mm from the eyeball and drains blood from the capillaries of the retina into either superior ophthalmic vein or into the cavernous sinus directly. The anatomy of the veins of the orbit of the eye varies between individuals, and in some the central retinal vein drains into the superior ophthalmic vein, and in some it drains directly into the cavernous sinus.

Pathology

The central retinal vein is the venous equivalent of the central retinal artery, and like that blood vessel can suffer from occlusion, similar to that seen in ocular ischemic syndrome.

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