Which division of the trigeminal nerve exits the skull through the superior orbital fissure?

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The trigeminal nerve has three divisions that reach their targets through different openings, and understanding their pathways helps identify which one goes through the superior orbital fissure. The ophthalmic division carries sensory fibers from the forehead, scalp, eyelids, and the nose area and travels within the orbit, exiting the skull via the superior orbital fissure to supply those regions. The maxillary division exits the skull through the foramen rotundum into the pterygopalatine space, while the mandibular division exits through the foramen ovale into the infratemporal region. The abducens nerve is a separate cranial nerve and, although it also passes through the superior orbital fissure, it is not a division of the trigeminal nerve. Therefore, the division exiting through the superior orbital fissure is the ophthalmic division.