Central retinal artery
Arteria centralis retinae
Sensory (eye & ear)OrgansHeadLeft and right
View left in 3D View right in 3D
- What it is
- A branch of the ophthalmic artery that pierces the underside of the optic nerve about 1 cm behind the eye, runs in its centre to the optic disc and divides into superior and inferior, nasal and temporal branches arching over the retina (the temporal arcades curve around the macula).
- Function
- Supplies the inner two-thirds of the retina; it is an end artery with no useful collaterals.
- Size
- About 0.1-0.16 mm in diameter at the disc; the fovea itself is avascular.
- Clinical note
- Sudden painless loss of vision from its occlusion is a stroke-equivalent emergency; retinal arterioles are the only arteries in the body that can be looked at directly.