pharyngeal plexus (anatomy)
Last reviewed 01/2018
The pharyngeal plexus is a group of fine, ramifying nerve fibres on the posterior aspect of the pharynx which are centred around the middle constrictor muscles. They are derived from several sources:
- pharyngeal branches of the vagus nerve; supply:
- efferent motor fibres from the cranial part of the accessory nerve which originate within the nucleus ambiguus
- afferent general somatic fibres originating in the sensory nucleus of the trigeminal nerve
- pharyngeal branches of glossopharyngeal nerve; supplies afferent fibres from the pharyngeal mucosa. Note that the glossopharyngeal branch to stylopharyngeus is entirely separate.
- cervical sympathetic fibres; vasoconstrict within the pharynx