Deep petrosal nerve

The deep petrosal nerve is a post-

ganglionic branch of the (sympathetic)
internal carotid (nervous) plexus (which
is in turn derived from the superior
cervical ganglion, a part of the cervical
sympathetic trunk) that enters the cranial
cavity through the carotid canal, then
passes perpendicular to the carotid canal
in[1] the cartilaginous substance which
fills the foramen lacerum to unite with
the (parasympathetic) greater petrosal
nerve to form the nerve of pterygoid
canal (Vidian nerve).[1]
 Deep petrosal nerve

Alveolar branches of superior maxillary

nerve and sphenopalatine ganglion. (Deep
petrosal labeled at bottom, center-right.)

Details

From internal carotid

plexus

To nerve of pterygoid
canal

Identifiers

Latin nervus petrosus

profundus
TA98 A14.3.02.008 (http
s://ifaa.unifr.ch/Publi
c/EntryPage/TA98%2
0Tree/Entity%20TA9
8%20EN/14.3.02.00
8%20Entity%20TA9
8%20EN.htm)

TA2 6647 (https://ta2view

er.openanatomy.or
g/?id=6647)

FMA 67549 (https://biopor

tal.bioontology.org/o
ntologies/FMA/?p=cl
asses&conceptid=htt
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Anatomical terms of neuroanatomy

Anatomy
intermediate grey column (of spinal cord
at around the level of T1) → white rami
communicantes (of cervical part of
sympathetic chain) → superior cervical
ganglion (synapse) → gray rami
communicantes → internal carotid
plexus → deep petrosal nerve → nerve of
pterygoid canal → pterygopalatine
ganglion (fibres pass through without
synapsing) → zygomatic nerve →
zygomaticotemporal nerve → lacrimal
nerve
Origin

The cell bodies of pre-ganglionic

sympathetic axons that subsequently
give synapse with neurons of the deep
petrosal nerve reside in the intermediate
grey column of the spinal cord at around
the spinal level of T1. The pre-ganglionic
axons ascend in the sympathetic trunk to
synapse at the superior cervical ganglion
where the cell bodies of the fibres of the
deep petrosal nerve are situated. The
post-ganglionic fibres do not synapse
again and ultimately innervate their
target tissues directly.[1]
Function
The deep petrosal nerve carries post-
ganglionic sympathetic axons which are
ultimately distributed to the blood
vessels (to mediate vasoconstriction),
and exocrine glands of the lacrimal
gland, nasal cavity, and oral cavity (to
mediate secretomotor function).[1]
Additional images

Sympathetic connections of the

pterygopalatine and superior cervical
ganglia.
Depicts nerve branches that are involved in
the autonomic innervation of the lacrimal
gland. The terminal parts of the pathway
are variable between individuals and differ
for the other glands of the deep face.

References
1. Goosmann, Madeline M.; Dalvin, Mark
(2023), "Anatomy, Head and Neck, Deep
Petrosal Nerve" (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.
gov/books/NBK534817/) , StatPearls,
Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls
 Publishing, PMID 30521238 (https://pubm
ed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30521238) , retrieved
2023-07-31

This article incorporates text in the

public domain from page 892 (https://arch
ive.org/stream/anatomyofhumanbo1918g
ray#page/892/mode/2up) of the 20th
edition of Gray's Anatomy (1918)

External links
"7-17" (https://web.archive.org/web/20
160303222022/http://www.yale.edu/c
nerves/cn7/cn7_17.html) . Cranial
Nerves. Yale School of Medicine.
Archived from the original (http://www.
yale.edu/cnerves/cn7/cn7_17.html)
on 2016-03-03.
 Table at doctor_uae (https://web.archiv
e.org/web/20021020211210/http://w
ww.geocities.com/doctor_uae/head_ta
ble_nerves.htm)

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