Long ciliary nerves

The long ciliary nerves are 2-3^[1] nerves that arise from the nasociliary nerve (itself a branch of the ophthalmic branch (CN V₁) of the trigeminal nerve (CN V)). They enter the eyeball to provide sensory innervation to parts of the eye, and sympathetic visceral motor innervation to the dilator pupillae muscle.

Long ciliary nerves
Nerves of the orbit, and the ciliary ganglion. Side view.
Details
From	Nasociliary nerve
Fiber type	"Somatosensory" (via V1 Lacrimal), and "Sympathetic" (via V2 Zygomatic)
Identifiers
Latin	nervi ciliares longi
TA98	A14.2.01.027
TA2	6206
FMA	52691
Anatomical terms of neuroanatomy [edit on Wikidata]

Anatomy

Origin

The long ciliary nerves branch from the nasociliary nerve as it crosses the optic nerve (CN II).^[1]

Course

Accompanied by the short ciliary nerves, the long ciliary nerves pierce and enter^[1] the posterior part of^{[citation needed]} the sclera near where it is entered by the optic nerve, then run anterior-ward between the sclera and the choroid.^[1]

Function

The long ciliary nerves are distributed to the ciliary body, iris, and cornea.^[1]

Sensory

The long ciliary nerves provide sensory innervation to the eyeball, including the cornea.^{[citation needed]}

Sympathetic

The long ciliary nerves contain post-ganglionic sympathetic fibers from the superior cervical ganglion for the dilator pupillae muscle.^[1] The sympathetic fibers to the dilator pupillae muscle mainly travel in the nasociliary nerve but there are also sympathetic fibers in the short ciliary nerves that pass through the ciliary ganglion without forming synapses.^{[citation needed]}

See also

• Short ciliary nerves

Additional images

• 
  Pathways in the ciliary ganglion.