Ganglia of sympathetic trunk

Along the length of the sympathetic trunk are ganglia known as ganglia of sympathetic trunk or paravertebral ganglia. The ganglia are distinguished as cervical, thoracic, lumbar, and sacral and, except in the neck, they closely correspond in number to the vertebrae.

Arrangement
Only the cervical ganglia have specific names. They are arranged thus:


 * The cervical portion - 3 ganglia: superior, middle, and inferior cervical ganglia. The inferior ganglion may be fused with the first thoracic ganglion to form a single structure, the stellate ganglion. Nerves emerging from cervical sympathetic ganglia contribute to the cardiac plexus, among other things.


 * thoracic ganglia - 12 ganglia


 * lumbar ganglia - 4 ganglia


 * sacral ganglia - 4 or 5 ganglia