Optic nerve-associated connective tissue structures revisited: A histological study using human fetuses and adult cadavers

Unlike the usual peripheral nerve, the optic nerve accompanies a thick dural sheath, a thin sheath of pia mater (SPM), and multiple septa, which divides the nerve fibers into fascicles. We collected specimens from 25 adult cadavers and 15 fetuses and revisited the histological architecture of the optic and oculomotor nerves. In the optic chiasma, the meningeal layer of the dura joins the pia to form a thick SPM, and the periosteum of the sphenoid is continuous with the dural sheath at the orbital exit of the bony optic canal. The septa appeared as a cluster of irregularly arrayed fibrous plates in the intracranial course near the chiasma. Thus, the septa were not derived from either the SPM or the dural sheath. In the orbit, the central artery of the retina accompanies collagenous fibers from the dural sheath and the SPM to provide the vascular sheath in the optic nerve. These connective tissue configurations were the same between adult and fetal specimens. At the optic disk, the dural sheath and SPM merged with the sclera, whereas the septa appeared to end at the lamina cribrosa. However, in fetuses without lamina cribrosa, the septa extend into the nerve fiber layer of the retina. The SPM and septa showed strong elastin immunoreactivity, in contrast to the absence of reactivity in the sheaths of the oculomotor nerve. Each S100 protein-positive Schwann sheath of the oculomotor nerve was surrounded by collagenous endoneurium. Glial fibrillary acidic protein-positive astrocytes showed a linear arrangement along the septa.

Automated summary

Unlike typical nerves, the optic nerve has a unique structure with a thick dural sheath, a thin pia mater sheath, and multiple septa that divide the nerve fibers. These structures play a role in protecting and supporting the optic nerve. Additionally, the optic nerve has complex connections with other eye tissues, and the central artery of the retina provides a vascular sheath for the optic nerve. Some of these features are consistent between fetuses and adult specimens.