Macroanatomy of the Cranial Cervical Ganglion in Angora Goat

Abstract

The Cranial Cervical Ganglia (CCG) in the heads of 6 adult (3 male and 3 female) Ankara Goats were dissected in detail. The ganglion was located on the ventral aspect of the tympanic bulla, cranio-ventral to the atlas, medio-ventral to the jugular process and lateral to the longus capitis muscle. The branches of the ganglion were the internal and external carotid nerves and the jugular and larygopharyngeal nerves and the connecting branches to the vagus and glossopharyngeal nerve. The internal carotid nerve arose as three branches (the cranial, the caudal and the medial branch) from the cranial region of the ganglion. The cranial branch, the profound petrosal nerve entered to the pteiygoid canal. The caudal branch terminated at trigeminal ganglion. The medial branch terminated at cavernous sinus. The other cranial branch ramified from the cranial region of the ganglion was the jugular nerve. The internal carotid and laryngopharyngeal nerves arose from the caudal region of the ganglion. In conclusion compared with literature raised in other species, differences were present in the number and courses of the branches ramified from CCG and in the branches connected to the vagus, glossopharangeal and hypoglossal nerves. © Medwell Journals, 2010.