Sympathetic trunk anatomy

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Sympathetic Trunk - The Body's Alarm Chain

  • A paired bundle of nerve fibers and ganglia (paravertebral ganglia) extending from the base of the skull to the coccyx.
  • Acts as the primary distribution network for the sympathetic nervous system.
  • Connects to spinal nerves via two key branches:
    • White Rami Communicantes: Myelinated preganglionic fibers (T1-L2/L3) entering the trunk.
    • Gray Rami Communicantes: Unmyelinated postganglionic fibers exiting the trunk to target organs.

Sympathetic Trunk and Rami Communicantes

Clinical Pearl: Damage to the cervical sympathetic trunk (e.g., by a Pancoast tumor in the lung apex) can cause Horner's Syndrome, presenting with a classic triad: ptosis, miosis, and anhidrosis.

  • Paired Chains: Two parallel chains of interconnected sympathetic ganglia (paravertebral ganglia) running alongside the vertebral column.
  • Communication Hub: Connects preganglionic neurons from the spinal cord to postganglionic neurons targeting effector organs.

Sympathetic Trunk Ganglia with Rami Communicantes

  • Inflow (Preganglionic):
    • Fibers from the T1-L2 spinal cord enter the trunk via White Rami Communicantes (myelinated).
  • Relay Options: Within the trunk, fibers can synapse at the same level, ascend, descend, or pass through (splanchnic nerves).
  • Outflow (Postganglionic):
    • Fibers exit via Gray Rami Communicantes (unmyelinated) to re-join spinal nerves.
    • 📌 Mnemonic: White rami are Welcoming fibers In; Gray rami are Going Out.

Horner's Syndrome: Interruption of the cervical sympathetic trunk (e.g., by a Pancoast tumor) causes the classic triad of ipsilateral ptosis, miosis, and anhidrosis.

Fiber Pathways - The Four Fates

Sympathetic Preganglionic Fiber Pathways

Preganglionic sympathetic fibers enter the sympathetic trunk via the white rami communicantes and face four potential routes:

  • Synapse at Entry Level: Synapses in the ganglion at the same vertebral level.
  • Ascend/Descend: Travels up or down the sympathetic trunk to synapse in a ganglion at a different level.
  • Pass-Through (Splanchnic Nerves): Traverses the trunk without synapsing to reach prevertebral ganglia.

⭐ Greater, lesser, and least splanchnic nerves (T5-T12) are classic examples of fibers that pass through the sympathetic trunk. They synapse in prevertebral ganglia (e.g., celiac, superior mesenteric) to supply abdominal organs.

Clinical Corners - When the Chain Breaks

  • Horner's Syndrome: Results from the interruption of the cervical sympathetic trunk.
    • Classic Triad: Ptosis (drooping eyelid), Miosis (constricted pupil), and Anhidrosis (decreased sweating). 📌 PAM
    • Common Causes: Pancoast tumors (lung apex), carotid artery dissection, or iatrogenic injury during surgery.
  • Referred Pain: Visceral afferent fibers travel alongside sympathetic nerves.
    • Example: Cardiac pain (T1-T5) is often referred to the chest, inner arm, and jaw.

Localizing the Lesion: The pattern of anhidrosis in Horner's syndrome can help pinpoint the lesion. Anhidrosis of the face and arm points to a pre-ganglionic (central) lesion, while restricted or absent anhidrosis suggests a post-ganglionic lesion near the carotid artery.

Horner's Syndrome Sympathetic Pathway

High‑Yield Points - ⚡ Biggest Takeaways

  • The sympathetic trunk is a paired paravertebral chain of ganglia running from the skull base to the coccyx.
  • It receives preganglionic fibers from T1-L2 spinal levels via white rami communicantes.
  • Postganglionic fibers exit via gray rami communicantes to supply targets body-wide.
  • The three cervical ganglia (superior, middle, stellate) are crucial for innervating the head, neck, and thoracic viscera.
  • Damage to the cervical sympathetic trunk causes Horner's syndrome (ptosis, miosis, anhidrosis).
  • Splanchnic nerves are preganglionic fibers that pass through without synapsing to innervate abdominal organs.

Practice Questions: Sympathetic trunk anatomy

Test your understanding with these related questions

A 50-year-old man presents to his primary care provider complaining of double vision and trouble seeing out of his right eye. His vision started worsening about 2 months ago and has slowly gotten worse. It is now severely affecting his quality of life. Past medical history is significant for poorly controlled hypertension and hyperlipidemia. He takes amlodipine, atorvastatin, and a baby aspirin every day. He smokes 2–3 cigarettes a day and drinks a glass of wine with dinner every night. Today, his blood pressure is 145/85 mm Hg, heart rate is 90/min, respiratory rate is 14/min, and temperature is 37.0°C (98.6°F). On physical exam, he appears pleasant and talkative. His heart has a regular rate and rhythm and his lungs are clear to auscultation bilaterally. Examination of the eyes reveals a dilated right pupil that is positioned inferolateral with ptosis. An angiogram of the head and neck is performed and he is referred to a neurologist. The angiogram reveals a 1 cm berry aneurysm at the junction of the posterior communicating artery and the posterior cerebral artery compressing the oculomotor nerve. Which of the following statements best describes the mechanism behind the oculomotor findings seen in this patient?

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Flashcards: Sympathetic trunk anatomy

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Sympathetic fibers from the superior cervical ganglion innervate the pupillary dilator muscle via _____ nerves

TAP TO REVEAL ANSWER

Sympathetic fibers from the superior cervical ganglion innervate the pupillary dilator muscle via _____ nerves

long ciliary

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