Short ciliary nerves

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Nerve: Short ciliary nerves
Plan of oculomotor nerve. (Short ciliary labeled at center right.)
Latin nervi ciliares breves
Gray's subject #200 889
From ciliary ganglion
Dorlands
/ Elsevier
    
n_05/12565369

The branches of the ciliary ganglion are the short ciliary nerves.

These are delicate filaments, from six to ten in number, which arise from the forepart of the ganglion in two bundles connected with its superior and inferior angles; the lower bundle is the larger.

They run forward with the ciliary arteries in a wavy course, one set above and the other below the optic nerve, and are accompanied by the long ciliary nerves from the nasociliary.

They pierce the sclera at the back part of the bulb of the eye, pass forward in delicate grooves on the inner surface of the sclera, and are distributed to the Ciliaris muscle, iris, and cornea.

The short ciliary nerve contains parasympathetic and sympathetic nerve fibers. The parasympathetics arise from the Edinger-Westphal nucleus and synapse in the ciliary ganglion via the oculomotor nerve, the postganglionic parasympathetics leave the ciliary ganglion in the short ciliary nerve and supply the ciliary body and iris. Sympathetics are provided by the superior cervical ganglion.

Damage to the short ciliary nerve may result in loss of the pupillary light reflex, or mydriasis.

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This article was originally based on an entry from a public domain edition of Gray's Anatomy. As such, some of the information contained herein may be outdated. Please edit the article if this is the case, and feel free to remove this notice when it is no longer relevant.

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