Dual ophthalmic arteries: a new case

Abstract

We report one retinoblastoma patient with dual ophthalmic arteries (also known as double ophthalmic arteries) arising from the internal carotid artery which fuse with each other inside the orbit. The caudal ophthalmic artery with larger caliber originated from the cavernous segment of internal carotid artery and passed through the superior orbital fissure. The cranial and tiny one arose more cranially from the supraclinoid internal carotid artery and passed through the optic canal. After superselective catheterization, frank anastomosis was shown between two ophthalmic arteries and the central retinal artery arose from the cranial one. To the best of our knowledge, this case is the first observation of a dual ophthalmic artery with cavernous/supracavernous origins fusing with each other proven by superselective ophthalmic angiography. Whether there is an anastomosis between two ophthalmic arteries is important for deciding which artery to be selected for intraarterial treatment. In cases of retinoblastoma, detailed angiographic analysis may be essential to examine the orbital arterial system and to avoid unexpected complications during intraarterial chemotherapy.