The Autonomic Nerves and Lymphatic Vessels of the Head and Neck

Abstract

The three ganglia of the cervical part of the gang- lionated trunk together with their preganglionic and postganglionic components are described on p. 239. In summary the preganglionic fibres have their cell bodies in the lateral horn of the grey matter of the upper four or five thoracic spinal cord segments (mainly the first three). The postganglionic fibres (1) join the ventral rami of the cervical spinal nerves (they are distributed through the branches of the cervical and brachial plexuses and also the dorsal rami of the spinal nerves); (2) join the glossopharyngeal, vagus and hypoglossal nerves and are distributed with their branches; (3) form plexuses round the main arteries and their branches; (4) continue into the cranial cavity as the internal carotid nerve and the plexuses round the internal carotid and vertebral arteries; (5) descend into the thorax as cardiac branches.