Anatomic study of human laryngeal ganglia: Number and distribution

Abstract

We have studied 12 laryngeal nerves: six internal branches of the superior laryngeal nerve (ILN) and six recurrent laryngeal nerves (RLN) from three human adult larynges (two males and one female). After dissection of each individual laryngeal nerve using a surgical microscope, the nerves were preserved in 10% formalin, embedded in paraffin wax, serially sectioned transversely at a thickness of 10 microm and stained with hematoxylin and eosin. We found 2-4 ganglia associated with the ILN. At least two ganglia were always present (six out of six cases), the largest one being associated with the branch of the nerve innervating the vestibule and the smallest one associated with the branch innervating the aryepiglottic fold. Other ganglia were found associated with the branches for the glosso-epiglottic fold and vallecula (four out of six cases) and interarytenoid muscle (three out of six cases). The RLN showed from two to six ganglia, all of them located in its anterior terminal division. Two of the ganglia were located in the part of the nerve between the origin of the branches for the interarytenoid and lateral cricoarytenoid muscles (three out of six cases). The remaining ganglia were located close to or at the origin of the muscular branches innervating the intrinsic laryngeal muscles. The cytology of the ganglia reported suggests that they were all autonomic in nature, probably parasympathetic.

Human laryngeal ganglia contain both sympathetic and parasympathetic cell types

“…The two ganglia selected for detailed study were the A1 ganglion, which is associated with the A1 branch of the ILN, that runs to the anterior wall of the vestibule, and the ganglion present in the terminal division of the anterior branch of the RLN at its entrance in the larynx behind the cricothyroid joint (Maranillo et al, 2008). These ganglia were selected for detailed study because they are the largest in the larynx, are consistently present and are considered to be paraganglia.…”

“…The presence of ganglia associated with the human laryngeal nerves has been reported in embryos, fetuses, and adults (Nicolas, 1894; Soulie and Bardier, 1907; Grynfelt and Hédon, 1908; Rubatelli, 1934; Ramaswamy, 1963; Afifi, 1971; Ramaswamy and Kulasekaran, 1974; Barrios et al, 1977; Sañudo and Doménech, 1990; Ramaswamy et al, 1994; Maranillo et al, 2008). From the beginning of the 1960s, the cellular aggregates associated with the human laryngeal nerves have been interpreted as paraganglia (Watzka, 1963; Kleinsasser, 1964; Jansen and Nettey‐Marbell, 1967; Zak and Lawson, 1972; Lawson and Zak, 1974; Dahlqvist et al, 1986a), that is, structures containing collections of neuroendocrine cells including populations of neurosecretory cells of neural crest origin with a putative chemoceptive function (Tischler, 1997).…”

“…An earlier article reported the results of a study to determine the positions of the paraganglia associated with the branches of the laryngeal nerves in man (Maranillo et al, 2008). This article extends those studies by examining the nature of the cells within the paraganglia using qualitative immunohistochemical techniques to study the expression of markers within the paraganglion cells.…”

15 YEARS OF PARAGANGLIOMA: Pheochromocytoma, paraganglioma and genetic syndromes: a historical perspective

“…The glomus jugulare, a conglomerate of cells analogous to the carotid body but of smaller size, was definitively described by Guild (1941). Although since the early 1800s there were descriptions of small areas and conglomerates of paraganglion-like cells, there is still to this day controversy on the number, function, and anatomy of these cells (Cock 1837, Maranillo et al 2008.…”

Polish Journal of Veterinary Sciences

“…The autonomic component includes intramural ganglia regularly associated with the final branches of the laryngeal nerves. The occurrence of cellular clusters resembling neurons accompanying the branches of laryngeal nerves in humans and some other mammalian species has been reported by many investigators, and the first contributions dealing with this problem came into view already in the early 1900s (Grynfelt and Hedón 1907, 1908, Elze 1923, Lemere 1932, Rubatelli 1934, Kleinsasser 1964, Afifi 1971, Ramaswamy et al 1994, Maranillo et al 2008. However, the exact nature of these cells and thus, their aggregates was not fully recognized for a long period.…”