Classification of Cranio-Ophthalmic Cavities Volume 2 - Issue 4

Bhartendu Shukla*

• Director of Research, RJN Ophthalmic Institute, India

Received:November 14, 2019;   Published: November 19, 2019

Corresponding author: B Shukla, Director of Research, RJN Ophthalmic Institute, Gwalior, India

DOI: 10.32474/TOOAJ.2019.02.000141

Abstract PDF

In ophthalmology orbit is the main cavity which contains the eyeball and many other structures related to ocular functions. Lacrimal fossa contains the lacrimal sac, nasolacrimal canal contains the nasolacrimal duct whereas the fossa for the lacrimal gland contains the lacrimal gland. There is no difference between lacrimal fossa and fossa for the lacrimal gland. As two different structures had to be described this artificial difference has been made. The optic canal transmits the optic nerve and through supra-orbital notch pass the the supra-orbital nerve and vessels. Cavities are not necessarily hard like bony cavities. There could be soft cavities also which are cystic in nature and usually contain some fluid. Thus, the eyeball itself contains three soft cavities namely anterior chamber, posterior chamber and vitreous cavity. The anterior and posterior chambers contain aqueous humor whereas the vitreous cavity contains vitreous humor. The soft cavities can be static or dynamic performing some specific function. All bony cavities are static but soft cavities like anterior chamber, posterior chamber and conjunctival sac, or conjunctival cavity are dynamic . In the former two there is circulation of aqueous humor and in the latter, there is circulation of tears (Table 1).

Table 1: Classification of Ophthalmic Cavities.

All cranial cavities are hard cavities and mainly include the anterior cranial fossa, middle cranial fossa and the posterior cranial fossa and contain anterior frontal lobe, middle parietal lobe and the posterior occipital lobe which perform their respective functions. In the center of the middle cranial foss is situated the pituitary fossa which contains the pituitary gland which is of great importance. Besides these there are cranial arteries, veins and nerves.