Fetal topography of branches of the cervical and thoracic divisions of the vagus nerves

Abstract

The study of age and individual anatomical variability of vagus nerves and their branches in different age periods of human ontogenesis causes interest among both morphologists and doctors of different specialties. The aim of the study. To find out the topography of the cervical and thoracic divisions of the vagus nerves in human fetuses aged from 4 th to 10 th gestational months. Materials and methods. The research was conducted on 75 preparations of human fetuses ranging from 81.0 to 375.0 mm in parietal-coccygeal length (PCL) using methods of macro-microscopic dissection and morphometry. Results. In human fetuses, the left vagus nerve is placed anteriorly to the left subclavian artery, then on the lateral surface of the Botallo's arterial duct and the aortic arch. In the neck region, the superior cardiac branch departs from the left vagus nerve and goes to the anterior surface of the left common carotid artery.