Morphological Features of the Glossopharyngeal Nerve in the Peripharyngeal Space, the Oropharynx, and the Tongue

Abstract

The glossopharyngeal nerve comprises sensory, motor and parasympathetic fibers, and its problem results in several disorders. This study investigated the glossopharyngeal nerve to elucidate the characteristics of its extracranial course and branching pattern. The nerve and adjacent structures were gross anatomically examined in 32 cadavers. The glossopharyngeal nerve descended from the jugular foramen in the peripharyngeal space. It dodged between the carotid arteries and the internal jugular vein and distributed the carotid and pharyngeal branches that formed the plexus with the branches of the vagus and sympathetic nerves. The glossopharyngeal nerve curved anteriorly around the stylopharyngeus and supplied it and the glossopharyngeus. However, it occasionally disappeared because it penetrated the stylopharyngeus. The nerve passed medially to the stylohyoid ligament to enter the oropharynx, with its entry located medially to the facial artery. It appeared anteriorly to the stylopharyngeus and the palatopharyngeus and inferiorly to the palatine tonsil in the oropharynx. Its appearance was obscured beneath the tonsil and, sometimes, beneath the longitudinal muscles. The nerve distributed the branches to the palatine tonsil, which formed a plexus with those that pierced the glossopharyngeus from the outside. At the root of the tongue, the nerve ramified into the posterior branches to the epiglottic vallecula, the medial ones the lingual tonsil and the vallate papillae and the anterior ones the vallate and foliate papillae. This study suggests that, occasionally, the detection of the glossopharyngeal nerve is challenging, and its association with the pharyngeal muscles and the facial artery can facilitate its localization. Anat Rec, 302:630–638, 2019. © 2018 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

The Five Diaphragms in Osteopathic Manipulative Medicine: Neurological Relationships, Part 1

“…These two nerves form anastomoses in extra lingual areas, inside the tongue, in particular for the hypoglossal muscle and the apex of the tongue; the LN creates anastomosis with the contralateral LN at the tip of the tongue [32]. The glossopharyngeal cranial nerve or nerve IX, motor and sensory nerve and with parasympathetic components, innervates the posterior one-third area of the tongue [33]. The IX arises from the upper portion of the medulla oblongata by several filaments; it exits the cranial cavity through the jugular foramen, together with the vagus nerve and the accessory nerve (XI), passing anteriorly, respect to the X and XI [33].…”

“…The glossopharyngeal cranial nerve or nerve IX, motor and sensory nerve and with parasympathetic components, innervates the posterior one-third area of the tongue [33]. The IX arises from the upper portion of the medulla oblongata by several filaments; it exits the cranial cavity through the jugular foramen, together with the vagus nerve and the accessory nerve (XI), passing anteriorly, respect to the X and XI [33]. In the foramen, it forms two ganglia: upper ganglion of the Ehrenritter or jugular, purely sensitive; lower or petrosal ganglion, with sensory/parasympathetic component [33].…”

Cranial Nerves: Phylogeny and Ontogeny

“…The morphology and clinical relevance volume includes gross anatomical and/or surgical approaches to cranial nerves III, IV, and VI (Apaydin et al, ); V including neuralgia (Ruiz‐Juretschke et al, ) and mandibular patterning (Sakaguchi et al, ); VII intracranial (Aristegui et al, ) and extracranial (Martinez Pascual et al, ); XI extracranial course (Sakamoto, ) and carotid sinus nerve (Porzionato et al, ); X focused on larynx innervation (Martin‐Oviedo et al, ); XI on topographical surgical relevance (Johal et al, ), and XII on its branching pattern (Sakamoto, ).…”

A Toast to the Cranial Nerves

“…Examples of all this morphological and functional complexity, with obvious consequences for the clinical aspects of the cranial nerves, are provided by the papers in this second volume of the Special Issue Cranial Nerves of The Anatomical Record . The papers provide perspectives about the surgical anatomy of the orbit, with special emphasis on oculomotor, trochlear, and abducens nerves (Apaydin et al, ), the importance of the variability of the facial nerve to other surrounding structures within the petrous portion of the temporal bone (Arístegui et al, ), as well as through the extra‐cranial course (Martínez Pascual et al, ), the vascular relationships of the trigeminal nerve in patients with classic trigeminal neuralgia (Ruiz‐Juretschke et al, ), the extra‐cranial course and branching pattern of the glossopharyngeal nerve (Sakamoto, ), the spatial relationships of the hypoglossal nerve with the tongue and associated muscles (Sakamoto, ), the clinical implications of the anatomy and function of the carotid sinus nerve (originated from the glossopharyngeal nerve, Porzionato et al, ), the innervation of the masticatory muscles (Akita et al, ), the morphology, embryology, surgical anatomy, and clinical manifestations of the accessory nerve (Johal et al, ), and the innervation of human larynx, describing the difficulty of carrying out laryngeal nerve reinnervation procedures (Martín‐Oviedo et al, ).…”