The Morphology of the Cervico‐thoracic Sympathetic System in Donkeys (Equus asinus L.)

Abstract

Five adult donkeys of both sexes, used in applied anatomy classes, and perfused with formalin for teaching purposes, constituted the study material. Ganglion cervicale caudale of the examined materials has observed to exhibit individually variable situation as to extend on the left side of the median line, at the alignment of the first and second intercostal spaces and on the right side between the level of the first and third costa. The ganglion extended more caudally on the right side of median line. The lateral surface of the ganglion was determined to be covered with the m. scalenus medius. On the both sides of the median plane, the ganglion cervicale caudale was seen to be situated on the lateral surface of the m. longus colli. On the left side, the ganglion overlapped the oesophagus in two cadavers and on the right side it was situated within a groove between the m. longus colli and trachea in three cadavers. The rami communicantes received by the ganglion cervicale caudale originated from the eighth cervical and first thoracic spinal segments. The ganglion cervicale caudale was formed by the coalescence of the last cervical and first three thoracic sympathetic ganglia. The ganglion cervicale caudale gave off branches that formed the rami communicantes, plexus cardiacus, n. vertebralis and ansa subclavia. One branch extended from the ganglion to the plexus brachialis. in one specimen, two sympathetic-parasympathetic communicating branches were observed to extend from the ansa subclavia and near by the origin of the truncus sympathicus to the n. vagus. In one of the donkeys examined, a branch originating from the ganglion cervicale caudale on the left side of the median plane was determined to end on the ligamentum arteriosum. A microscopic ganglion structure suggesting the existence of the ganglion cervicale medium was determined in a donkey.

Morphological Investigations of the Cervicothoracic Sympathetic System in the Horse (Equus ferrus caballus) in Egypt

“…Many previous published anatomical articles described that, there are many morphological differences in the formation of the caudal cervical ganglion between different animals; in which the caudal cervical ganglion formed by the coalescence of the last cervical and first thoracic sympathetic nerves on both sides (Dursun, 2000;Ozgel et al). In addition, Ozgel et al, observed that the caudal cervical ganglion formed bilaterally by the coalescence of the last cervical and the first and second thoracic sympathetic nerves in two donkeys, which agrees with Singh et al (2005).…”

“…Many anatomical data reported that the caudal cervical ganglion was situated bilaterally at the level of first intercostal space (Pather et al, 2006;Ozgel et al;Evans & de Lahunta, 2013), but König & Liebich (2007) noted that the cervicothoracic ganglion lies medial to the first rib, while Ozgel et al reported that there is some variation in the position of the caudal cervical ganglion; in four donkey the location of ganglion at the first intercostal space bilaterally, while in one donkey, this ganglion was located at the level of second intercostal space on left side, while on right side was situated in a wide area, from the first and second intercostal spaces. In the present study, the left caudal cervical ganglion was situated cranial to the level of the first rib, in which the caudal margin of the ganglion was situated below the cranial margin of the first rib, while the right caudal cervical ganglion was situated at the level of the first rib and the middle cervical ganglion was situated cranioventral to the caudal cervical ganglion and at the ventrolateral margin of trachea.…”

“…A cervicothoracic ganglion was located on the lateral surface of the longus colli muscle (Phillips et al;Ozgel et al;Evans & de Lahunta, 2013), but in the present investigation, the left caudal cervical ganglion was situated on the lateral surface of the esophagus and the dorsal margin of ganglion overlapped the groove between longus colli muscle and esophagus, while on right side, the dorsal half of the caudal cervical ganglion was located on the ventrolateral surface of the longus colli muscle, while the ventral half hanged on the groove between the longus colli muscle and trachea. In cat, the right stellate ganglion had its location over the base of first rib, while the left stellate ganglion was located on the neck of first and second rib (Phillips et al).…”

“…The caudal cervical ganglion has been documented by many authors (Ozgel et al, 2009;Dyce et al, 2010;Evans & de Lahunta, 2013). The caudal cervical ganglion was considered as an important center of sympathetic innervation of cervical region, neck and forelimbs (upper limb in human) (Phillips et al, 1986), so there is clinically importance of the cervicothoracic ganglion block (Schürmann et al, 2001;Animal preparation .…”

Histomorphometric Adaptation of Yak (Bos grunniens) Abomasum to the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau Environment

“…To adapt to the harsh conditions, the yaks have acquired many special morphological features in the long-term natural selection. Many studies showed that the location of the cranial cervical ganglion in the yaks corresponded with that of other domestic animals, whereas its shape was different (Ozgel et al, 2009;Kabak, 2007;Shao et al, 2007). Shao (2010) reported that the lingual prominence of yak tongue was greater and more developed than in cattle (Bos taurus).…”