Central retinal artery originating from the temporal short posterior ciliary artery associated with intraorbital external-to-internal carotid arterial anastomoses

Although variations in the peripapillary division pattern of the central retinal artery (CRA) are common, variations in the origin of this artery are seldom reported in the literature. Herein, the authors report a variant of the CRA that originated from the temporal short posterior ciliary artery. Two intraorbital anastomoses were also noted between the internal and external carotid arterial systems: one through the lacrimal artery–middle meningeal artery to the ophthalmic artery and the other through supraorbital artery–recurrent meningeal artery to the ophthalmic artery. A brief review of CRA variations and potential clinical significances of the observed variant are discussed.