Stellate ganglion
Citation, DOI, disclosures and article data
Citation:
Knipe H, Hacking C, Bell D, et al. Stellate ganglion. Reference article, Radiopaedia.org (Accessed on 13 Mar 2025) https://doi.org/10.53347/rID-54517
rID:
54517
Article created:
Disclosures:
At the time the article was created Henry Knipe had no recorded disclosures.
View Henry Knipe's current disclosures
Last revised:
Disclosures:
At the time the article was last revised Craig Hacking had the following disclosures:
- Philips Australia, Paid speaker at Philips Spectral CT events (ongoing)
These were assessed during peer review and were determined to not be relevant to the changes that were made.
View Craig Hacking's current disclosures
Revisions:
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5 contributors -
see full revision history and disclosures
Systems:
Sections:
Synonyms:
- Stellate ganglia
- Cervicothoracic ganglia
- Cervicothoracic ganglion
The stellate ganglion (plural: ganglia), also known as the cervicothoracic ganglion, is formed by the inferior cervical and first thoracic ganglia and is located just anterior to the head of the first rib. It receives input from the paravertebral sympathetic chain and provides sympathetic efferents to the upper limbs, head, neck and heart 1. It is present in 80% of people. 2
On this page:
Gross anatomy
The stellate ganglion is a long, flat structure ~1 cm in length. It is closely related to the apex of the lung and the phrenic nerve.
Relations
The relations of the ganglion are as follows 1:
anteriorly: vertebral vessels
medially: longus colli muscle lined by the prevertebral fascia
laterally: superior intercostal artery
Variant anatomy
The stellate ganglion as a fusion of the inferior cervical and first thoracic ganglia only exists in 80% of individuals 2.
Occasionally the combination of the inferior cervical and first thoracic ganglia can also include the second thoracic ganglion 3.
History and etymology
The Latin word "stella" means star, and the stellate ganglion was named as such by anatomists due to the array of branches that diverge from the structure 1,2.
Related pathology
Damage to the stellate ganglion may result in Horner syndrome 3.
See also
References
- 1. N. Marcer, M. Bergmann, A. Klie, B. Moor, V. Djonov. An anatomical investigation of the cervicothoracic ganglion. (2012) Clinical Anatomy. 25 (4): 444. doi:10.1002/ca.21266
- 2. Keith L. Moore, Anne M. R. Agur, Arthur F. Dalley, II. Clinically Oriented Anatomy. (2017) ISBN: 9781496347213
- 3. N. Pather, P. Partab, B. Singh, K.S. Satyapal. Cervico-thoracic ganglion: Its clinical implications. (2006) Clinical Anatomy. 19 (4): 323. doi:10.1002/ca.20214
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