Deep petrosal nerve
| Deep petrosal nerve | |
|---|---|
Alveolar branches of superior maxillary nerve and sphenopalatine ganglion. (Deep petrosal labeled at bottom, center-right.) | |
| Details | |
| From | Internal carotid plexus |
| To | Nerve of pterygoid canal |
| Identifiers | |
| Latin | nervus petrosus profundus |
| TA98 | A14.3.02.008 |
| TA2 | 6647 |
| FMA | 67549 |
| Anatomical terms of neuroanatomy | |
The deep petrosal nerve is a post-ganglionic branch of the (sympathetic) internal carotid (nervous) plexus (which is in turn derived from the superior cervical ganglion, a part of the cervical sympathetic trunk) that enters the cranial cavity through the carotid canal, then passes perpendicular to the carotid canal in the cartilaginous substance which fills the foramen lacerum to unite with the (parasympathetic) greater petrosal nerve to form the nerve of pterygoid canal (Vidian nerve).