Inferior cervical ganglion

Inferior cervical ganglion is the lowermost ganglion situated in the cervical part of the sympathetic trunk. In most of the cases, it combines with the first thoracic ganglion below to form a large ganglion called the cervicothoracic ganglion (a.k.a. stellate ganglion). The inferior cervical ganglion (when present individually or as part of the stellate ganglion) is situated anterior to the transverse process of seventh cervical vertebra C7 and the neck of the first rib, while posterior to the first part of subclavian artery and the origin of the vertebral artery.

The inferior cervical ganglion receives preganglionic sympathetic neurons from the lateral gray horns of the upper thoracic spinal segments. Here, the pre-ganglionic neurons synapse with cell bodies of postganglionic sympathetic neurons, which in turn, get distributed to various regions of the head and neck and mediastinum via the following routes:

• Post-ganglionic neurons reach out to the ventral rami of C7, C8 and T1 spinal nerves, through gray rami communicantes,

• Some post-ganglionic neurons wind around vertebral and subclavian arteries to form a neuronal plexus around them and innervate smooth muscles in the arteries,

• Lastly, post-ganglionic neurons reach out to the cardiac plexus via inferior cardiac nerves, to innervate the heart.

The inferior cervical ganglion (and the stellate ganglion) receives arterial blood supply from supreme intercostal branch of the costocervical trunk of the subclavian artery.