The optic nerve is the second Cranial nerve and enables vision by transmitting the impulses generated in the retina to the Brain.
Anatomy
The optic nerve extends bilaterally from the eyeball through the Canalis opticus to the Chiasma opticum at the base of the brain[^1]. The two optic tracts emerge from the optic chiasm and run bilaterally around the cerebral peduncles to the Corpus geniculatum laterale.
Figure
Clinical examination
Assessment of the optic nerve includes evaluation of Visual acuity, the Visual field, and the ocular fundus.
Imaging
Both the optic nerve and the optic chiasm can be visualized using MRI imaging.
Intraoperative
Intraoperatively, the optic nerve serves as an important anatomical landmark during neurosurgical procedures.
