Prevertebral region - cervical sympathetic trunk (dave's notes)

Question 1

Describe the course of the cervical sympathetic trunk

Answer 1

The cervical sympathetic trunk ascends from the thorax across the neck of the first rib running medial to the vertebral artery, in front of the prevertebral fascia, behind the carotid sheath, medial to the vagus nerve

Question 2

What nerve is lateral to the cervical sympathetic trunk?

Answer 2

The vagus

Question 3

What is anterior to the cervical sympathetic trunk?

Answer 3

the carotid sheath

Question 4

What artery is lateral to cervical sympathetic trunk?

Answer 4

The vertebral artery

Question 5

What is posterior to the cervical sympathetic trunk?

Answer 5

The prevertebral fascia

Question 6

List the ganglia of the cervical sympathetic trunk

Answer 6

Superior, middle and inferior

Question 7

What is the most prominent ganglion of the cervical sympathetic trunk? What is its size?

Answer 7

The superior, 3cm

Question 8

What is the size and location of the middle ganglion of the cervical sympathetic trunk?

Answer 8

The middle ganglion is small and inconsistent. In front of the vertebral artery.

Question 9

Where is the inferior ganglion of the cervical sympathetic trunk found? What variant may occur here?

Answer 9

Behind the commencement of the vertebral artery. May be fused with the first thoracic ganglion to form the stellate ganglion.

Question 10

What branches do and don’t enter the cervical sympathetic trunk ganglia?

Answer 10

No white rami from cervical nerves. Branches are somatic and visceral

Question 11

Define somatic nerve

Answer 11

Voluntary

Question 12

Which cervical nerves contribute somatic branches to the superior cervical ganglion?

Answer 12

C1-2

Question 13

Which cervical nerves contribute somatic branches to the middle cervical ganglion?

Answer 13

5-6

Question 14

Which cervical nerves contribute somatic branches to the inferior cervical ganglion?

Answer 14

7-8 (brachial plexus)

Question 15

Which cervical nerves contribute no somatic branches to cervical ganglia?

Answer 15

All 8 cervical nerves have somatic contributions ??from cervical ganglia

Question 16

Describe the visceral outputs from the cervical ganglia

Answer 16

A branch from each ganglion to the cardiac plexus, upper left superficial? all the rest deep?

Question 17

What visceral and vascular branches does the superior cervical ganglion give off?

Answer 17

ICA, PTPG??, eyeball, and ECA, also pharyngeal plexus, submandibular and otic ganglion

Question 18

What visceral and vascular branches does the middle cervical ganglion give off?

Answer 18

Subclavian artery, inferior thyroid artery and lower larynx, trachea, upper oesophagus)

Question 19

What visceral and vascular branches does the inferior cervical ganglion give off?

Answer 19

A large branch to the vertebral artery - does not supply viscera.