Definition

1. Noun:
   • A branch of the internal carotid artery that supplies the eye and neighboring structures: The ophthalmic artery is a major blood vessel that originates from the internal carotid artery and is responsible for delivering oxygenated blood to the orbit, eyeball, and surrounding areas such as the eyelids and lacrimal gland.

Usage Examples

• Noun:
  • Blockage of the ophthalmic artery can lead to sudden vision loss.
  • The surgeon carefully avoided the ophthalmic artery during the procedure.
  • The ophthalmic artery branches into several smaller vessels to supply different parts of the eye.

Advanced Usage

• Clinical Context: In medical diagnostics, the term is used to describe the vascular supply to the eye. For example, an "ophthalmic artery aneurysm" refers to a dangerous ballooning of this specific artery.
  • Imaging revealed an aneurysm at the origin of the ophthalmic artery.

Variants and Related Words

• Ophthalmic (adj): Pertaining to the eye.
  • The patient was referred to an ophthalmic surgeon.
• Central retinal artery: A major branch of the ophthalmic artery that supplies the retina.
• Internal carotid artery: The parent artery from which the ophthalmic artery branches.

Synonyms

• Orbital artery: A less common synonym emphasizing the artery's path through the orbit (eye socket).

Related Phrases

• Ophthalmic artery occlusion: The medical term for a blockage in this artery.
  • Ophthalmic artery occlusion is a medical emergency.

Noun

1. a branch of the internal carotid artery that supplies the eye and neighboring structures