Ventral and Dorsal Persistent Primitive Ophthalmic Arteries

Area of Science:

• Neuroanatomy
• Vascular Development
• Embryology

Background:

• Early ocular vascularization involves the primitive maxillary artery (MA), primitive dorsal ophthalmic artery (OA), and primitive ventral OA.
• The primitive olfactory artery (OlfA) forms near the optic vesicle and contributes to OA origin variants.

Purpose of the Study:

• To clarify the developmental origins of the ophthalmic artery (OA).
• To establish definitive criteria for identifying persistent primitive OAs.

Main Methods:

• Presentation of eight rare anatomical variants related to aberrant OA origins.
• Description of five abnormal configurations involving persistent primitive arteries.

Main Results:

• OAs from the cavernous internal carotid artery (ICA) involve persistent primitive MA.
• OAs from the anterior cerebral artery (ACA) involve persistent primitive OlfA, not a persistent primitive OA.
• Two new cases of persistent primitive OlfA originating from the ACA are presented.

Conclusions:

• Discrepancies in identifying persistent primitive OAs arise from literature misinterpretation.
• An OA from the cavernous ICA signifies a primitive MA origin.
• An OA from the ACA signifies a partial primitive OlfA persistence.