Lesser occipital nerve
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View Rohit Sharma's current disclosures- Small occipital nerve
- Lesser occipital nerves
- Lesser occipital nerve (LON)
- Small occipital nerves
The lesser occipital nerve, also known as the small occipital nerve, is a cutaneous branch of the cervical plexus that innervates the skin of the neck and scalp posterior and superior to the auricle.
On this page:
Gross anatomy
Origin
The lesser occipital nerve arises from the ventral ramus of C2, although it often receives fibres from C3 as well.
Course
After branching from the ventral ramus of C2 the lesser occipital nerve hooks around the accessory nerve and emerges along the posterior aspect of the sternocleidomastoid muscle at the punctum nervosum (Erb’s point). The nerve then travels superiorly along the posterior border of the sternocleidomastoid muscle. At the occiput the lesser occipital nerve pierces the deep fascia and arborises. The terminal branches of the lesser occipital nerve communicates with lateral branches of the greater auricular nerve.
Branches and supply
the lesser occipital nerve supplies the skin of the scalp, posterior third of the temporal fossa and neck posterior and superior to the auricle
terminal branches of the small auricular nerve communicate with many other nerves including the greater auricular nerve, greater occipital nerve and the posterior auricular nerve
Relations
The lesser occipital nerve can be identified easily along the posterior border of the sternocleidomastoid muscle. It should be noted that the sensory fibres of C1 provide a branch to the meninges.
Along with the other cutaneous branches of the cervical plexus the lesser occipital nerve passes posterior to the sternocleidomastoid muscle at the punctum nervosum (Erb’s point) roughly midway between the origin and insertion of the muscle.
Clinical importance
lesser occipital nerve block
lesser occipital neurolysis or neurectomy
occipital nerve stimulation
Related pathology
occipital neuralgia, implicated with the greater occipital nerve
migraine, implicated with the greater occipital nerve
References
- 1. Last's anatomy, regional and applied. Churchill Livingstone. ISBN:044304662X. Read it at Google Books - Find it at Amazon
- 2. Dalley AF, Agur AM. Clinically Oriented Anatomy, Sixth Edition. Lippincott Williams & Wilkins. ISBN:1605476528. Read it at Google Books - Find it at Amazon
- 3. Baker EW, Schuenke M, Schulte E et-al. Head and Neck Anatomy for Dental Medicine. Thieme. ISBN:1604062096. Read it at Google Books - Find it at Amazon
Incoming Links
- Scalp nerve supply (mnemonic)
- Third occipital nerve
- Scalp
- Cervical plexus
- Temporal fossa
- Superficial cervical plexus nerve block (ultrasound)
- Supraclavicular nerves
- Sternocleidomastoid muscle
- Deep layer of the deep cervical fascia
- Greater occipital nerve
- Occipital neuralgia
- Punctum nervosum
- Posterior auricular nerve
- Occipital nerve stimulators
Related articles: Anatomy: Head and neck
- skeleton of the head and neck
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cranial vault
- scalp (mnemonic)
- fontanelle
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sutures
- calvarial
- facial
- frontozygomatic suture
- frontomaxillary suture
- frontolacrimal suture
- frontonasal suture
- temporozygomatic suture
- zygomaticomaxillary suture
- parietotemporal suture (parietomastoid suture)
- occipitotemporal suture (occipitomastoid suture)
- sphenofrontal suture
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- spheno-occipital suture (not a true suture)
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- temporal bone
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facial bones
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cranial vault
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facial muscles
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orbicularis oris muscle
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orbicularis oris muscle
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suboccipital muscles
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- obliquus capitis inferior muscle
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deep spaces of the neck
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arterial supply
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common carotid artery
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- carotid bifurcation
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- variants
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common carotid artery
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arterial supply
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cranial nerves
- olfactory nerve (CN I)
- optic nerve (CN II)
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trigeminal nerve (CN V) (mnemonic)
- trigeminal ganglion
- ophthalmic division
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- mandibular division
- abducens nerve (CN VI)
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vestibulocochlear nerve (CN VIII)
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cervical plexus
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- scalenes
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ansa cervicalis
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- contribution to the accessory nerve (CN XI)
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cranial nerves
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