The central retinal vein (retinal vein) is a

vein Veins () are blood vessels in the circulatory system of humans and most other animals that carry blood towards the heart. Most veins carry deoxygenated blood from the tissues back to the heart; exceptions are those of the pulmonary and feta ...

that drains the

retina The retina (; or retinas) is the innermost, photosensitivity, light-sensitive layer of tissue (biology), tissue of the eye of most vertebrates and some Mollusca, molluscs. The optics of the eye create a focus (optics), focused two-dimensional ...

of the

eye An eye is a sensory organ that allows an organism to perceive visual information. It detects light and converts it into electro-chemical impulses in neurons (neurones). It is part of an organism's visual system. In higher organisms, the ey ...

. It travels backwards through the centre of the

optic nerve In neuroanatomy, the optic nerve, also known as the second cranial nerve, cranial nerve II, or simply CN II, is a paired cranial nerve that transmits visual system, visual information from the retina to the brain. In humans, the optic nerve i ...

accompanied by the

central retinal artery The central retinal artery (retinal artery) branches off the ophthalmic artery, running inferior to the optic nerve within its dural sheath to the eyeball. Structure The central retinal artery pierces the eyeball close to the optic nerve, sen ...

before exiting the optic nerve together with the central retinal artery to drain into either the

superior ophthalmic vein The superior ophthalmic vein is a vein of the orbit that drains venous blood from structures of the upper orbit. It is formed by the union of the angular vein, and supraorbital vein. It passes backwards within the orbit alongside the ophthalmic a ...

or the

cavernous sinus The cavernous sinus within the human head is one of the dural venous sinuses creating a cavity called the lateral sellar compartment bordered by the temporal bone of the skull and the sphenoid bone, lateral to the sella turcica. Structure The ...

Structure

Origin

The central retinal vein is formed by the convergence of veins that drain retinal tissue. The central retinal vein originates within the eyeball, emerging from the eyeball already as a single unified vein.

Course

The central retinal vein runs through the centre of the

(alongside the

) surrounded by a

fibrous connective tissue Connective tissue is one of the four primary types of animal tissue, a group of cells that are similar in structure, along with epithelial tissue, muscle tissue, and nervous tissue. It develops mostly from the mesenchyme, derived from the mesode ...

envelope. It leaves the

10 mm from the eyeball along with the

, also exiting the meningeal envelope of the optic nerve.

Fate

The central retinal vein drains into either the

or the

Variation

The central retinal vein varies between individuals. in some the central retinal vein drains into the

, and in some it drains directly into the

Clinical significance

Central retinal vein occlusion

The central retinal vein is the venous equivalent of the

. Like that blood vessel, it can suffer from occlusion (

central retinal vein occlusion Central retinal vein occlusion, also CRVO, is when the central retinal vein becomes occluded, usually through thrombosis. The central retinal vein is the venous equivalent of the central retinal artery and both may become occluded. Since the cent ...

). This occlusion is similar to that seen in ocular ischemic syndrome.

Papilledema

As the fluid surrounding the optic nerve within its meningeal envelope is contiguous with the

cerebrospinal fluid Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) is a clear, colorless Extracellular fluid#Transcellular fluid, transcellular body fluid found within the meninges, meningeal tissue that surrounds the vertebrate brain and spinal cord, and in the ventricular system, ven ...

of the

central nervous system The central nervous system (CNS) is the part of the nervous system consisting primarily of the brain, spinal cord and retina. The CNS is so named because the brain integrates the received information and coordinates and influences the activity o ...

, increased intracranial pressure can cause compression of the central retinal vein where it emerges from the optic nerve (the accompanying artery is meanwhile less susceptible to compression due to its thicker arterial wall), with the resulting venous congestion causing oedema of the optic nerve (

papilledema Papilledema or papilloedema is optic disc swelling that is caused by increased intracranial pressure due to any cause. The swelling is usually bilateral and can occur over a period of hours to weeks. Unilateral presentation is extremely rare. In ...

Additional images

Image:Gray879.png, Interior of posterior half of bulb of left eye. The veins are darker in appearance than the arteries. Image:Eyevessels 001.jpg, Eye vessels

References

External links

Early Signs Of Eye Defects
{{Authority control Veins of the head and neck