Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Anatomic basis of Arnold's ear-cough reflex

Bases anatomiques du réflexe d'Arnold (réflexe auriculaire de toux)

  • Anatomical Bases of Medical, Radiological and Surgical Techniques
  • Published:
Surgical and Radiologic Anatomy Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Summary

A clinical survey of 500 patients revealed 4.2% incidence of Arnold's ear-cough reflex. The reflex was bilateral in 2.8% of the patients. It was also elicitable from the anterior meatal wall in 2% of the patients, thus questioning the classically taught distribution of Arnold's nerve. Arnold's nerve also mediates the auriculo-palatal auriculo-lacrimal, auriculo-cardiac and the ear-vomiting reflexes; but these are less apparent and not so commonly encountered.

Résumé

Une étude clinique de 500 malades a mis en évidence un réflexe d'Arnold (réflexe auriculaire de toux) chez 4,2% d'entre eux. Ce réflexe était bilatéral chez 2,8% des patients. Il a pu être déclenché au niveau de la paroi antérieure du conduit auditif externe chez 2% d'entre eux, remettant en question la distribution classique du nerf, d'Arnold au niveau de la paroi postérieure du conduit auditif externe. Le nerf d'Arnold peut véhiculer d'autres réflexes: auriculo-palatin, auriculo-lacrymal, auriculo-cardiaque et le réflexe du vomissement; mais ils sont moins marqués et surtout moins fréquents que le réflexe auriculaire de toux.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Barr ML, Kiernan JA (1983) The Human Nervous system. An anatomical view point, pp 138, 4th edition Harper and Row, Philadelphia

    Google Scholar 

  2. Clay L (1947) Cough as a symptom. Med Clin North Am 31: 1393–1399

    Google Scholar 

  3. Cushing H (1904) The sensory distribution of the fifth cranial nerve. Bull John Hopkins Hosp 15: 2–3.

    Google Scholar 

  4. Guba CP (1967) The auri-tussal symptom. Vrach Delo 2: 138

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  5. Guild SR (1953) The glomus jugulare, a non chromaffin paraganglion in man. Ann Oto Rhino Laryngol 62: 1045–1071

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  6. Hollinshead WH (1982) Anatomy for Surgeons: The Head-Neck, 3rd edition, pp 162, harper and Row, New York

    Google Scholar 

  7. Hunt Jr (1915) The sensory field of the facial nerve: A further contribution to the symptomatology of the geniculate ganglion. Brain 38: 418

    Google Scholar 

  8. Smith MF (1963) Arnold's nerve reflex; a little known cause of cough in pediatric patients. J La State Med Soc 115: 17–18

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  9. Williams PL, Warwick R (1980) in: Gray's Anatomy, 36th edition, pp 1079–1081. Churchill-Livingstone, Edinburgh, London.

    Google Scholar 

  10. Wolff AP, May M, Nuelle D (1973) The tympanic membrane, source of the cough reflex. JAMA 223: 1269

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Otolaryngology, JN Medical College, Aligarh Muslim University, Aligarh, India

    D Gupta, S Verma & SK Vishwakarma

Authors
  1. D Gupta
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. S Verma
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. SK Vishwakarma
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Gupta, D., Verma, S. & Vishwakarma, S. Anatomic basis of Arnold's ear-cough reflex. Surg Radiol Anat 8, 217–220 (1986). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02425070

Download citation

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02425070

Key words

Search

Navigation