Definition
The optic tract (OT) is the portion of the optic pathway that connects the optic chiasm to the lateral geniculate body (LGB) (Cummings 2013). Each OT contains the ipsilateral uncrossed temporal nerve fibers and contralateral nasal crossed nerve fibers that originate from the axons of the retinal ganglion cells (Binder et al. 2010). The blood supply of the OT derives from the anterior choroidal and posterior communicating arteries (Kanski and Bowling 2013). Damage to the OT may cause a contralateral relative afferent pupillary defect (RAPD), contralateral homonymous hemianopsia, and band optic atrophy (Friedman and Kaiser 2007).
References
Cummings TJ (2013) Optic nerve. Ophthalmic pathology: a concise guide. Springer, New York, p 181
Binder DK, Sonne C, Fischbein NJ (2010) Optic nerve. Cranial nerves: anatomy, pathology, imaging. Springer, New York, pp 9–23
Kanski JJ, Bowling B (2013) Neuro-ophthalmology. Synopsis of clinical ophthalmology. Saunders, Philadelphia, pp 351–353
Friedman NJ, Kaiser PK (2007) Neuro-ophthalmology. Essentials of ophthalmology. Saunders, Philadelphia, pp 47–86
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Chao, S., Almarzouqi, S.J., Morgan, M.L., Lee, A.G. (2015). Optic Tract. In: Schmidt-Erfurth, U., Kohnen, T. (eds) Encyclopedia of Ophthalmology. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-35951-4_1219-1
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-35951-4_1219-1
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