The great auricular nerve; does it penetrate the parotid gland? An anatomical and microscopical study.
Conflicting opinions exist in the literature regarding the exact anatomical course of the great auricular nerve. The aim of this work was to study the pathway of its anterior branch and endings in relation to the parotid gland.


METHODS
Thirty-seven specimens were dissected from 19 fresh adult cadavers and studied including the parotid gland at the region of the termination of the anterior branch of the nerve. The causes of death were not due to pathology in the parotid region. All the specimens were fixed in formaldehyde, serially cut, stained by haematoxylin and eosin, and examined by light microscope.


RESULTS
In most of the glands (21/37 = 57%), there was no evidence of well-organized nerve fibres of the great auricular nerve inside the parotid gland. In a few (5/37 = 13%), nerve fibers were seen to penetrate the interlobular septa and in 30% of the cases (11/37) nerve bundles were found deep in the gland along side small ducts and close to thin-walled blood vessels.


CONCLUSIONS
These findings prove that there are anatomical variations of the endings of the anterior branch of the great auricular nerve. The significance of nerve bundles deep in the gland along ducts and near vessels remains to be explored.
Zohar
Yuval
Y
Clinic of Otolaryngology--Head and Neck Surgery, Rabin Medical Center, Petach-Tikva, Israel. zoharyuv@bezeqint.net
Siegal
Annette
A
Siegal
Gil
G
Halpern
Marisa
M
Levy
Birtolon
B
Gal
Rivka
R
D000328:Adult; D000344:Afferent Pathways / Q000033:anatomy & histology; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002572:Cervical Plexus; D004431:Ear, External / Q000294:innervation*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010306:Parotid Gland / Q000294:innervation*; D010525:Peripheral Nerves / Q000033:anatomy & histology*