Greater petrosal nerve

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Nerve: Greater petrosal nerve
The course and connections of the facial nerve in the temporal bone.
Plan of the facial and intermediate nerves and their communication with other nerves.
Latin	nervus petrosus major
Gray's	subject #202 903
From	facial nerve
To	nerve of pterygoid canal
Dorlands / Elsevier	n_05/12566464

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The greater petrosal nerve is a nerve in the skull that branches from the facial nerve; it forms part of a chain of nerves that innervates the lacrimal gland. The fibres have synapses in the pterygopalatine ganglion.

Structure

The greater petrosal nerve is a branch of the facial nerve that arises from the geniculate ganglion, a part of the facial nerve inside the facial canal. It enters the middle cranial fossa through the hiatus for the greater petrosal nerve (on the anterior surface of the petrous temporal bone). It proceeds towards the foramen lacerum, where it joins the deep petrosal nerve (sympathetic) to form the nerve of the pterygoid canal. The nerve of the pterygoid canal passes through the pterygoid canal to reach the pterygopalatine ganglion.

Function

The greater petrosal nerve carries gustatory (taste) and parasympathetic fibres. Postganglionic parasympathetic fibres from pterygopalatine ganglion supply lacrimal gland and the mucosal glands of the nose, palate, and pharynx. The gustatory fibres do not relay in the ganglion and are distributed to the palate.

Additional images

Alveolar branches of superior maxillary nerve and sphenopalatine ganglion. (

Sympathetic connections of the sphenopalatine and superior cervical ganglia.

External links

• Greater+petrosal+nerve at eMedicine Dictionary
• Norman/Georgetown cranialnerves (VII)
• University of Michigan Medical School "Dissector Answers - Ear and Nasal Cavity"

v • d • e Nerves of head and neck: the cranial nerves and nuclei
olfactory (AON->I)	olfactory bulb - olfactory tract
optic (LGN->II)	optic chiasm - optic tract
oculomotor (ON,EWN->III)	superior branch (parasympathetic root of ciliary ganglion/ciliary ganglion) - inferior branch
trochlear (TN->IV)	no significant branches
trigeminal (PSN,TSN,MN,TMN->V)	trigeminal ganglion • ophthalmic • maxillary • mandibular
abducens (AN->VI)	no significant branches
facial (FMN,SN,SSN->VII)	near origin nervus intermedius • geniculate inside facial canal greater petrosal (pterygopalatine ganglion) - nerve to the stapedius - chorda tympani (lingual nerve, submandibular ganglion) at stylomastoid foramen posterior auricular - suprahyoid (digastric, stylohyoid) - parotid plexus (temporal, zygomatic, buccal, mandibular, cervical)
vestibulocochlear (VN,CN->VIII)	cochlear (striae medullares, lateral lemniscus) • vestibular (Scarpa's ganglion)
glossopharyngeal (NA,ISN,SN->IX)	before jugular fossa ganglia (superior, inferior) after jugular fossa tympanic (tympanic plexus, lesser petrosal, otic ganglion) • stylopharyngeal branch • pharyngeal branches • tonsillar branches • lingual branches • carotid sinus
vagus (NA,DNVN,SN->X)	before jugular fossa ganglia (superior, inferior) after jugular fossa meningeal branch - auricular branch neck pharyngeal branch (pharyngeal plexus) - superior laryngeal (external, internal) - recurrent laryngeal (inferior) - superior cervical cardiac thorax inferior cardiac - pulmonary - vagal trunks (anterior, posterior) abdomen celiac - renal - hepatic - anterior gastric - posterior gastric
accessory (NA,SAN->XI)	cranial - spinal
hypoglossal (HN->XII)	lingual branches

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Acknowledgement and Attribution Regarding Sources of Content

Some of the initial content on this page may be incorporated in part from copyleft sources in the public domain including wikis such as Wikipedia and AskDrWiki. Drug information for patients came from the The National Library of Medicine. Infectious disease information may have come from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC). Differential Diagnoses are drawn from clinicians as well as an amalgamation of 3 sources: 1.The Disease Database; 2. Kahan, Scott, Smith, Ellen G. In A Page: Signs and Symptoms. Malden, Massachusetts: Blackwell Publishing, 2004:3; 3. Sailer, Christian, Wasner, Susanne. Differential Diagnosis Pocket. Hermosa Beach, CA: Borm Bruckmeir Publishing LLC, 2002:7 .