Nerve of pterygoid canal

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Nerve: Nerve of pterygoid canal
Plan of the facial and intermediate nerves and their communication with other nerves. (Vidian nerve labeled at upper right.)
Latin	n. canalis pterygoidei
Gray's	subject #200 892
From	greater petrosal nerve, deep petrosal nerve
To	pterygopalatine ganglion
Dorlands / Elsevier	n_05/12565277

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The nerve of the pterygoid canal (Vidian nerve), formed by the junction of the great petrosal nerve and the deep petrosal nerve in the cartilaginous substance which fills the foramen lacerum, passes forward, through the pterygoid canal, with the corresponding artery (artery of the pterygoid canal), and is joined by a small ascending sphenoidal branch from the otic ganglion.

Finally, it enters the pterygopalatine fossa, and joins the posterior angle of the sphenopalatine ganglion.

It contains preganglionic parasympathetic fibers from the greater petrosal nerve, a branch of the facial nerve, and postganglionic sympathetic fibers from the deep petrosal nerve.

Additional images

Alveolar branches of superior maxillary nerve and sphenopalatine ganglion.

Diagram of the cervical sympathetic.

External links

• Norman/Georgetown cranialnerves (VII) ("NPC")
• Nerve+of+pterygoid+canal at eMedicine Dictionary

This article was originally based on an entry from a public domain edition of Gray's Anatomy. As such, some of the information contained herein may be outdated. Please edit the article if this is the case, and feel free to remove this notice when it is no longer relevant.

v • d • e The cranial nerves: trigeminal nerve
ophthalmic (V1)	frontal: supratrochlear - supraorbital (lateral branch, medial branch) nasociliary: long ciliary - infratrochlear - posterior ethmoidal - anterior ethmoidal (external nasal, internal nasal) - sensory root of ciliary ganglion (ciliary ganglion) lacrimal
maxillary (V2)	in meninges middle meningeal in pterygopalatine fossa zygomatic (zygomaticotemporal, zygomaticofacial) - pterygopalatine (pterygopalatine ganglion see below for details) - posterior superior alveolar in infraorbital canal infraorbital nerve: superior alveolar (middle, anterior) - internal nasal branches on face inferior palpebral - external nasal - superior labial (infraorbital plexus)
mandibular (V3)	in meninges meningeal anterior to muscles of mastication (medial pterygoid/to tensor veli palatini, lateral pterygoid, masseteric, deep temporal) - buccal posterior auriculotemporal (otic ganglion) - lingual (submandibular ganglion) - inferior alveolar (mylohyoid, mental)

v • d • e Nerves - autonomic nervous system (sympathetic nervous system/ganglion/trunks and parasympathetic nervous system/ganglion)
Head/cranial	Ciliary ganglion: roots (Sensory, Parasympathetic, Sympathetic) - Short ciliary Pterygopalatine ganglion: deep petrosal - nerve of pterygoid canal branches of distribution: greater palatine (inferior posterior nasal branches) - lesser palatine - nasopalatine (medial superior posterior nasal branches) - pharyngeal Submandibular ganglion Otic ganglion
Neck/cervical	paravertebral ganglia: Cervical ganglia (Superior, Middle, Inferior) - Stellate ganglion prevertebral plexus: Cavernous plexus - Internal carotid
Chest/thorax	paravertebral ganglia: Thoracic ganglia prevertebral plexus: Cardiac plexus - Esophageal plexus - Pulmonary plexus - Thoracic aortic plexus splanchnic nerves: cardiopulmonary - thoracic cardiac nerves: Superior - Middle - Inferior
Abdomen/Lumbar	paravertebral ganglia: Lumbar ganglia prevertebral ganglia: Celiac ganglia (Aorticorenal) - Superior mesenteric ganglion - Inferior mesenteric ganglion prevertebral plexus: Celiac plexus - (Hepatic, Splenic, Pancreatic) - aorticorenal (Abdominal aortic plexus, Renal/Suprarenal) - Superior mesenteric (Gastric) - Inferior mesenteric (Spermatic, Ovarian) - Superior hypogastric (hypogastric nerve, Superior rectal) - Inferior hypogastric (Vesical, Prostatic/Cavernous nerves of penis, Uterovaginal, Middle rectal) splanchnic nerves: Lumbar splanchnic nerves enteric nervous system: Meissner's plexus • Auerbach's plexus
Pelvis/sacral	paravertebral ganglia: Sacral ganglia - Ganglion impar splanchnic nerves: Pelvic splanchnic nerves - Sacral splanchnic nerves
All	Rami communicans (White, Gray) - Preganglionic fibers - Postganglionic fibers