Long ciliary nerves

The long ciliary nerves, two or three in number, are given off from the nasociliary, as it crosses the optic nerve.

They accompany the short ciliary nerves from the ciliary ganglion, pierce the posterior part of the sclera, and running forward between it and the choroid, are distributed to the iris and cornea.

The long ciliary nerves provide sensory innervation to the eyeball. In addition, they might contain sympathetic fibers from the superior cervical ganglion to the dilator pupillæ muscle. The sympathetics mainly travel in the nasociliary nerve.