Vidian nerve
Vidian nerve (also known as the nerve of the Vidian canal) is so named because of the canal in which is travels: the vidian canal.
It is formed by the confluence of two nerves:
- greater superfical petrosal nerve (from the geniculate ganglion of the facial nerve) carrying parasympathetic fibres from the superior salivary nucleus
- deep petrosal nerve (from the sympathetic plexus on the internal carotid artery) carrying sympathetic fibres
The nerve exits its canal in the pterygopalatine fossa and joins the pterygopalatine ganglion.
