Otic ganglion
Last revised by Roland Zhang
on 22 Oct 2024
Citation, DOI, disclosures and article data
Citation:
Mudgal P, Zhang R, Yu Y, et al. Otic ganglion. Reference article, Radiopaedia.org (Accessed on 05 Mar 2025) https://doi.org/10.53347/rID-28278
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rID:
28278
Article created:
18 Mar 2014,
Prashant Mudgal
Disclosures:
At the time the article was created Prashant Mudgal had no recorded disclosures.
View Prashant Mudgal's current disclosures
Last revised:
22 Oct 2024,
Roland Zhang
Disclosures:
At the time the article was last revised Roland Zhang had no financial relationships to ineligible companies to disclose.
View Roland Zhang's current disclosures
Revisions:
19 times, by
8 contributors -
see full revision history and disclosures
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The otic ganglion is one of four parasympathetic ganglia of the head and neck. It receives parasympathetic fibers from the glossopharyngeal nerve. It supplies the parotid gland with not just parasympathetic, but also sympathetic and sensory fibers that pass through the gland.
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Gross anatomy
small and disc shaped ganglion
located in the infratemporal fossa
it lies immediately below the foramen ovale, medial to the mandibular division of the trigeminal nerve
supplies secretomotor fibers to the parotid gland
Roots
-
parasympathetic root
from the inferior salivary nucleus via the glossopharyngeal nerve and branch of the tympanic nerve (Jacobson's nerve) to form the tympanic plexus in the middle ear and then exit as the lesser petrosal nerve
the lesser petrosal nerve then passes from the foramen ovale to the ganglion and then fibers reach the parotid gland as the auriculotemporal nerve
-
sympathetic root
via the middle meningeal artery, vasomotor fibers from the superior cervical ganglion pass through the ganglion without synapsing and course though the auriculotemporal nerve and supply the parotid gland
-
sensory root
via the auriculotemporal nerve to the parotid gland
Branches
Related pathology
Frey syndrome: where salivary stimuli induces perspiration and erythema at the parotid
References
- 1. Shimizu T. Distribution and pathway of the cerebrovascular nerve fibers from the otic ganglion in the rat: anterograde tracing study. J. Auton. Nerv. Syst. 1994;49 (1): 47-54. Pubmed citation
- 2. Kahle W, Frotscher M. Color Atlas and Textbook of Human Anatomy: Nervous system and sensory organs. Thieme. (2003) ISBN:1588900649. Read it at Google Books - Find it at Amazon
- 3. Last's anatomy, regional and applied. Churchill Livingstone. ISBN:044304662X. Read it at Google Books - Find it at Amazon
- 4. Moore KL, Agur AMR, Dalley AF. Clinically oriented anatomy. LWW. ISBN:1451119453. Read it at Google Books - Find it at Amazon
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Articles:
- Parasympathetic nervous system
- Lesser petrosal nerve
- Pineal gland
- Middle ear
- Autonomic ganglia and plexuses
- Infratemporal fossa
- Inferior salivatory nucleus
- Auriculotemporal nerve
- Facial nerve
- Jacobson nerve
- Parasympathetic ganglia in the head and neck
- Glossopharyngeal nerve
- Foramen ovale (skull)
- Foramen ovale contents (mnemonic)
- Buccal nerve
- Inferior alveolar nerve
- Parotid gland
- Nerve to medial pterygoid
Cases:
Multiple choice questions:
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