Macro Anatomical Investigations of the Cranial Cervical Ganglion in Domestic Pig (Sus scrofa domesticus)

Abstract

In this study, the left and right cranial cervical ganglia (ganglion cervicale craniale) of eight young (four male, four female) domestic pigs weighing around 70-80 kg were inspected macro anatomically. The cranial cervical ganglion (CCG) was found cranio-ventrally of the distal ganglion of the vagus nerve, medial of the jugular process extremity, ventral of the atlas, dorsal of the epiglottis base and medial of the common root (CR) established by the internal carotid and occipital arteries. The internal carotid nerve and jugular nerve ramified from the cranial part of CCG. The jugular nerve gave branches that merged with the vagus and glossopharyngeal nerves. Other nerve branches originating from the cranial part of the ganglion reached to the external carotid artery and CR. The internal carotid nerve varied among cadavers in number of branches (two to four). These branches did not travel along the side of the internal carotid artery. The central part of CCG gave thin nerve branches that reached to various anatomical structures including the first and second cervical nerves, wall of the pharynx, accessory nerve, hypoglossal nerve, vagus nerve, external carotid artery and CR. The caudal part of CCG gave nerve branches that merged with the vagus, cranial laryngeal nerves, and common carotid artery. The external carotid nerves, which were two or three in number, also originated from the caudal part of CCG. In conclusion, the nerves ramifying from CCG of the pig varied in number among cadavers. Compared with literature raised in other species, there are also differences in number of nerve branches and course pattern of these nerves.

Detailed Anatomy of the Cranial Cervical Ganglion in the Dromedary Camel (Camelus dromedarius)

“…Based on Table 2, the exact position of the CCG shows great variation among animal species. However, surprisingly, all published data on morphology of CCG in the animals have pointed out so far that the location of CCG is similar € Ozgel et al, 2004;Kabak et al, 2005;Kabak, 2007;Shao et al, 2007;Ari et al, 2010;Kabak and Onuk, 2010;Shao et al, 2011). In our observation, the dromedary CCG was quite different in location from these species because the dromedary CCG was located caudal to the cranial base, whereas in other species, the CCG was positioned at the most proximal cervical region.…”

“…The internal carotid nerve is composed of one branch in four specimens and two branches in one specimen studied, which is very similar to that in guinea pig and albino rat. On the contrary, internal carotid nerve is composed of two branches (in the horse (Getty, 1975), dog (Evans, 1993), and most pigs (Kabak et al 2005), three branches (in most Angora goats, most roe deers, and some pigs (Kabak et al 2005)), four to five branches (in the white yak, cat, most yaks, and some pigs (Kabak et al 2005), or five to six branches (in the Bactrian camel).…”

“…On the other hand, review literatures revealed that the origin and the number of branches of the external carotid nerve varied among the animals. The external carotid nerve is composed of one branch in the Angora goat, guinea pig, donkey, horse (Getty, 1975) and some roe deers, two branches in most roe deers, Bactrian camel, white yak, yak, cat (Billingsley and Ranson, 1918) and most pigs (Kabak et al, 2005), and three branches in some pigs (Kabak et al, 2005). Regarding the origin of the external carotid nerve, the nerve was reported to emerge from different aspects of the CCG, including from the caudoventral part of the CCG in pigs (Kabak et al, 2005) and some roe deers), from the lateral and rostroventral part of the CCG (in many roe deers), from the middle of the medial side of the CCG in cats (Billingsley and Ranson, 1918), and from the rostroventral margin of the CCG in the donkey, yak, and white yak.…”

“…Moreover, Getty (1975) described the laryngopharyngeal branch as a nerve branch of CCG in horse but did not mention any further information or even show the nerve. Although some authors noted that there was a branch ramifying from the ventral pole of the CCG and communicated with the cranial laryngeal nerve in the rat (Hedger and Webber, 1976), guinea pig, pig (Kabak et al, 2005), and roe deer, these studies did not use the term "laryngopharyngeal branch. "…”

“…On the other hand, some articles have recorded that one or two branches extended to pharynx emerging mainly from the medial aspect of the central part of the CCG (in the pig by Kabak et al, 2005), the ventral aspects of the cranial half of the CCG in the guinea pig, the medial side near to the upper pole of the CCG in the cat, and the dorsal aspect of the cranial and the caudal halves as well as the ventral aspect of the caudal half of the CCG in the roe deer.…”