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Nerve: Pterygopalatine ganglion
Alveolar branches of superior maxillary nerve and pterygopalatine ganglion. (Sphenopalatine ganglion labeled at center top.)
The pterygopalatine ganglion and its branches. (Pterygopalatine ganglion visible but not labeled, as large yellow ganglion in upper-right center.)
Latin	g. pterygopalatinum
Gray's	subject #200 891
From	trigeminal nerve
Dorlands / Elsevier	g_02/12384795

The pterygopalatine ganglion (or sphenopalatine ganglion) is kind of a parasympathetic ganglion found in the pterygopalatine fossa. It is one of four parasympathetic ganglia of the head and neck. (The others are the submandibular ganglion, otic ganglion, and ciliary ganglion).

Contents 1 Structure 2 Roots 2.1 Sensory root 2.2 Motor root 2.3 Sympathetic root 2.4 Branches 3 Additional images 4 External links

Structure

The pterygopalatine ganglion (of Meckel), the largest of the parasympathetic ganglia associated with the branches of the trigeminal nerve, is deeply placed in the pterygopalatine fossa, close to the sphenopalatine foramen. It is triangular or heart-shaped, of a reddish-gray color, and is situated just below the maxillary nerve as it crosses the fossa.

The pterygopalatine ganglion supplies the lacrimal gland, paranasal sinuses, glands of the mucosa of the nasal cavity and pharynx, the gingiva, and the mucous membrane and glands of the hard palate. It communicates anteriorly with the nasopalatine nerve.

Roots

It receives a sensory, a motor, and a sympathetic root.

Sensory root

Its sensory root is derived from two sphenopalatine branches of the maxillary nerve; their fibers, for the most part, pass directly into the palatine nerves; a few, however, enter the ganglion, constituting its sensory root.

Motor root

Its motor root is derived from the nervus intermedius (a part of the facial nerve) through the greater petrosal nerve.

In the pterygopalatine ganglion, the parasympathetic fibers synapse with neurons whose postganglionic axons, vasodilator and secretory fibers, are distributed with the deep branches of the trigeminal nerve to the mucous membrane of the nose, soft palate, tonsils, uvula, roof of the mouth, upper lip and gums, and to the upper part of the pharynx. It also sends postganglionic parasympathetic fibers to the lacrimal gland via the zygomatic nerve, a branch of the maxillary nerve (from the trigeminal nerve) which then connects with the lacrimal nerve (a branch of the ophthalmic nerve, also part of the trigeminal nerve) to arrive at the lacrimal gland.

The nasal glands are innervated with secretomotor from the nasopalatine and greater palatine nerve. Similarly, the palatine glands are innervated by the nasopalatine, greater palatine and lesser palatine nerves. The pharyngeal nerve innervates pharyngeal glands. These are all branches of maxillary nerve.

Sympathetic root

The ganglion also consists of sympathetic efferent (postganglionic) fibers from the superior cervical ganglion. These fibers, from the superior cervical ganglion, travel through the carotid plexus, and then through the deep petrosal nerve. The deep petrosal nerve joins with the greater petrosal nerve to form the nerve of the pterygoid canal, which enters the ganglion.

Branches

• Nasopalatine nerve
• Greater palatine nerve
• Lesser palatine nerve
• Posterior superior lateral nasal branch
• pharyngeal branch of maxillary nerve

Additional images

Plan of the facial and intermediate nerves and their communication with other nerves.	The right sympathetic chain and its connections with the thoracic, abdominal, and pelvic plexuses.	Diagram of efferent sympathetic nervous system.	Sympathetic connections of the sphenopalatine and superior cervical ganglia.
Diagram of the cervical sympathetic.	An illustration of the path of the Maxillary nerve.

External links

• synd/2132 at Who Named It
• Norman/Georgetown cranialnerves (V, VII)
• Pterygopalatine+ganglion 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 Nerves of head and neck: the cranial nerves and nuclei olfactory (AON->I) olfactory bulb - olfactory tract optic (LGN->II) optic chiasm - optic tract oculomotor (ON,EWN->III) superior branch (parasympathetic root of ciliary ganglion/ciliary ganglion) - inferior branch trochlear (TN->IV) no significant branches trigeminal (PSN,TSN,MN,TMN->V) trigeminal ganglion • ophthalmic • maxillary • mandibular abducens (AN->VI) no significant branches facial (FMN,SN,SSN->VII) near origin nervus intermedius • geniculate inside facial canal greater petrosal (pterygopalatine ganglion) - nerve to the stapedius - chorda tympani (lingual nerve, submandibular ganglion) at stylomastoid foramen posterior auricular - suprahyoid (digastric, stylohyoid) - parotid plexus (temporal, zygomatic, buccal, mandibular, cervical) vestibulocochlear (VN,CN->VIII) cochlear (striae medullares, lateral lemniscus) • vestibular (Scarpa's ganglion) glossopharyngeal (NA,ISN,SN->IX) before jugular fossa ganglia (superior, inferior) after jugular fossa tympanic (tympanic plexus, lesser petrosal, otic ganglion) • stylopharyngeal branch • pharyngeal branches • tonsillar branches • lingual branches • carotid sinus vagus (NA,DNVN,SN->X) before jugular fossa ganglia (superior, inferior) after jugular fossa meningeal branch - auricular branch neck pharyngeal branch (pharyngeal plexus) - superior laryngeal (external, internal) - recurrent laryngeal (inferior) - superior cervical cardiac thorax inferior cardiac - pulmonary - vagal trunks (anterior, posterior) abdomen celiac - renal - hepatic - anterior gastric - posterior gastric accessory (NA,SAN->XI) cranial - spinal hypoglossal (HN->XII) lingual branches

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

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