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An anatomical investigation of the cervicothoracic ganglion

  • Marcer, Nicholas Institute of Anatomy, Department of Medicine, University of Fribourg, Switzerland
  • Bergmann, Mathias Institute of Anatomy, Department of Medicine, University of Fribourg, Switzerland
  • Klie, A. Independent Researcher
  • Moor, B. Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Hôpital Cantonal, Fribourg, Switzerland
  • Djonov, Valentin Institute of Anatomy, Department of Medicine, University of Fribourg, Switzerland
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    30.08.2011
Published in:
  • Clinical Anatomy. - 2012, vol. 25, no. 4, p. 444-451
Cervicothoracic ganglion
Stellate ganglion
Vertebral artery
Morphology
Truncated
Perforated
English Anatomical variability within the autonomic nervous system has long been accepted. This study evaluated the anatomical variability of the cervicothoracic ganglion (CTG) according to its form and, in addition, provided precise measurements between the CTG and the anterior tubercle of the transverse process of the sixth cervical vertebra (C6TP), the first costovertebral articulation, and the vertebral artery. Forty-two adult cadavers were dissected, 22 male and 20 females. Five main forms of CTG were documented; spindle (31.9%), dumbbell (23.2%), truncated (21.7%), perforated (14.5%), and inverted-L (8.7%). The means for length, width, and thickness of the CTG were 18.5 mm, 8.2 mm, and 4.5 mm, respectively. The dimensions were found to be slightly larger in the males than females and on the left sides as compared to the right. The mean shortest distance between the CTGs and the vertebral artery was found to be 2.8 mm, whilst the mean shortest distances to C6TP was 25.7 mm and to the first costovertebral articulation was 1.7 mm. There is great variability in the morphology of the CTG with five common forms consistently seen. The relation to the vertebral artery may influence the form of the ganglion. Two previously undocumented forms are recorded; the truncated which describes the important juxtaposition of the CTG and the vertebral artery and the perforated which describes the piercing of the ganglion itself by the artery. The findings are considered to be of clinical importance to anesthetists, surgeons, neurosurgeons, and anatomists.
Faculty
Faculté des sciences et de médecine
Department
Département de Médecine
Language
  • English
Classification
Biological sciences
License
License undefined
Identifiers
Persistent URL
https://folia.unifr.ch/unifr/documents/302234
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