title: Main trajectories of nerves that traverse and surround the tympanic cavity in the rat.
abstract: To guide surgery of nerves that traverse and surround the tympanic cavity in the rat, anatomical illustrations are required that are topographically correct. In this study, maps of this area are presented, extending from the superior cervical ganglion to the otic ganglion. They were derived from observations that were made during dissections using a ventral approach. Major blood vessels, bones, transected muscles of the tongue and neck and supra and infrahyoid muscles serve as landmarks in the illustrations. The course of the mandibular, facial, glossopharyngeal, vagus, accessory and hypoglossal nerves with their branches, and components of the sympathetic system, are shown and discussed with reference to data available in the literature. Discrepancies in this literature can be clarified and new data are presented on the trajectories of several nerves. The course of the tympanic nerve was established. This nerve originates from the glossopharyngeal nerve, enters the tympanic cavity, crosses the promontory, passes the tensor tympani muscle dorsally, and continues its route intracranially to the otic ganglion as the lesser petrosal nerve after intersecting with the greater petrosal nerve. Auricular branches of the glossopharyngeal and of the vagus nerve were noted. We also observed a pterygopalatine branch of the internal carotid nerve, that penetrates the tympanic cavity and courses across the promontory.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, Tilburg University, The Netherlands. j.a.w.m.weijnen@kub.nl
authors.forename: J A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Weijnen
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Surink
authors.forename: M J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Verstralen
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Moerkerken
authors.forename: G J
authors.initials: GJ
authors.lastname: De Bree
authors.forename: R L
authors.initials: RL
authors.lastname: Bleys
mesh_terms: D000055:Accessory Nerve / Q000033:anatomy & histology; D000818:Animals; D004210:Dissection; D004432:Ear, Middle / Q000294:innervation*; D005154:Facial Nerve / Q000033:anatomy & histology; D005260:Female; D005930:Glossopharyngeal Nerve / Q000033:anatomy & histology; D007002:Hypoglossal Nerve / Q000033:anatomy & histology; D008297:Male; D009434:Neural Pathways; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D013564:Sympathetic Nervous System; D013701:Temporal Bone; D014276:Trigeminal Nerve / Q000033:anatomy & histology; D014630:Vagus Nerve / Q000033:anatomy & histology