Ganglion pterygopalatinum

The pterygopalatine ganglion in the pterygopalatine fossa and its entry points and exit points

Ganglion pterygopalatinum is a parasympathetic ganglion. It is located in the pterygopalatine fossa, caudal to the nervus mandibularis and laterally to the foramen sphenopalatinum, here it is connected to the nn. pterygopalatini. It has a flat triangular or heart shape and is reddish-gray in color. It contains about 50,000 parasympathetic neurons (it is therefore the largest parasympathetic ganglion in the head region).

The greater petrosal nerve enters it from the back as the radix parasympatica, the fibers of the radix sympatica come via the deep petrosal nerve from Budge's ciliospinal center, the fibers leave the ganglion as the radix sensitiva via the nervus maxillaris. From the ganglion emerge rr. nasales posteriores superiores, rr. nasales posteriores inferiores, n. palatinus major a nn. palatinii minores, rr. tonsillares, rr. orbitales a n. pharyngeus. Interpolation takes place here - switching to the second neuron of the parasympathetic pathway (part of the path of parasympathetic innervation of the lacrimal gland).

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Used literature

• GRIM, Miloš – DRUGA, Rastislav, et al. Základy anatomie, 5.Anatomie krajin těla. 1. edition. Praha : Galén, 2008. 119 pp. pp. 96. ISBN 978-80-7262-179-8.

• DRUGA, Rastislav – GRIM, Miloš. Anatomie periferního nervového systému, smyslových orgánů a kůže. 1. edition. Praha : Galén : Karolinum, c2013. pp. 135-153. ISBN 978-80-7262-970-1.