title: Bilateral absence of ansa cervicalis replaced by vagocervical plexus: case report and literature review.
abstract: The bilateral absence of the ansa cervicalis was discovered during dissection of the neck in an elderly male cadaver. On both sides it was replaced by a vagocervical plexus formed by the vagus nerve and C1 and C2 ventral rami from the cervical plexus. A descending branch from this vagocervical plexus supplied the strap muscles of the neck. From a review of the literature the incidence of bilateral absence of the ansa cervicalis and its replacement by a vagocervical plexus appears to be extremely rare. Morphological variability, embryological basis, and clinical relevance of this uncommon anatomical variant are discussed.
authors.affiliation: Department of Anatomy, College of Medicine and Medical Sciences, Arabian Gulf University, Manama, Kingdom of Bahrain. marwanah@agu.edu.bh
authors.forename: Marwan F
authors.initials: MF
authors.lastname: Abu-Hijleh
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D001344:Autopsy; D002572:Cervical Plexus / Q000002:abnormalities* / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000196:embryology; D006801:Humans; D007002:Hypoglossal Nerve / Q000033:anatomy & histology*; D008875:Middle Aged; D018482:Muscle, Skeletal / Q000002:abnormalities / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000294:innervation