Posterior ethmoidal nerve
Nerve of the orbit around the eye
title: "Posterior ethmoidal nerve" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["ophthalmic-nerve"] description: "Nerve of the orbit around the eye" topic_path: "general/ophthalmic-nerve" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Posterior_ethmoidal_nerve" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0
::summary Nerve of the orbit around the eye ::
::data[format=table title="Infobox nerve"]
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Name | Posterior ethmoidal nerve |
| Latin | nervus ethmoidalis posterior |
| Image | Gray514.png |
| Caption | The ophthalmic artery and its branches. (Nerve not pictured, but location is similar to artery.) |
| Innervates | Sphenoidal sinus, ethmoidal sinus |
| BranchFrom | Nasociliary nerve |
| :: |
| Name = Posterior ethmoidal nerve | Latin = nervus ethmoidalis posterior | Image = Gray514.png | Caption = The ophthalmic artery and its branches. (Nerve not pictured, but location is similar to artery.) | Image2 = | Caption2 = | Innervates = Sphenoidal sinus, ethmoidal sinus | BranchFrom = Nasociliary nerve | BranchTo =
The posterior ethmoidal nerve is a nerve of the head. It is a branch of the nasociliary nerve (itself a branch of the ophthalmic nerve (CN V1)). It provides sensory innervation to the sphenoid sinus and ethmoid sinus, and part of the dura mater in the anterior cranial fossa.
Structure
Origin
The posterior ethmoidal nerve is a branch of the nasociliary nerve.
Course
It passes through the posterior ethmoidal foramen alongside the posterior ethmoidal artery.
Branches
Within the anterior cranial fossa, it issues a branch to which innervates part of the dura mater.
It gives branches to the sphenoid sinus and the ethmoid sinus.
Variation
The posterior ethmoidal nerve is absent in a significant proportion of people. This may be around 30%.
Function
The posterior ethmoidal nerve supplies sensation to the sphenoid sinus and the ethmoid sinus. It also supplies sensation to part of the dura mater in the anterior cranial fossa.
Other animals
The posterior ethmoidal nerve is present in other animals, including horses. Headshaking can sometimes be treated with analgesia or neurectomy of the posterior ethmoidal nerve.
References
References
- (2009). "Manual Therapy for the Cranial Nerves". [[Churchill Livingstone]].
- (2010). "Encyclopedia of the Eye". [[Academic Press]].
- (2010). "Handbook of Clinical Neurology". [[Elsevier]].
- (2010). "Meningiomas". [[Saunders (imprint).
- Rea, Paul. (2016). "Essential Clinically Applied Anatomy of the Peripheral Nervous System in the Head and Neck". [[Academic Press]].
- (2014). "Knottenbelt and Pascoe's Color Atlas of Diseases and Disorders of the Horse". [[Saunders (imprint).
- (2014). "Equine Sports Medicine and Surgery". [[Saunders (imprint).
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