Quick Facts
Origin: Superior cervical ganglion.
Course: Travels along the internal carotid artery to distribute throughout the skull.
Branches: Internal carotid plexus.
Supply: Vasoconstrictor and sudomotor nerves for the face and neck, and smooth muscle in the eyelids.
Related parts of the anatomy
Origin
The internal carotid nerve is a sympathetic nerve that originates from the superior cervical ganglion.
Course
The internal carotid nerve ascends along the internal carotid artery into the carotid canal and eventually the cranial cavity.
Branches
The internal carotid nerve divides into lateral, medial, and anterior branches, which combine to form the internal carotid plexus. It is believed that it joins with orbital branches of the maxillary nerve (Standring, 2020).
Supplied Structures & Function
The internal carotid nerve supplies vasoconstrictor and sudomotor nerves for the face and neck, and the dilator pupillae, smooth muscle in the eyelids and orbital structures.
List of Clinical Correlates
—Horner’s Syndrome
References
Standring, S. (2020) Gray's Anatomy: The Anatomical Basis of Clinical Practice. 42nd edn.: Elsevier Health Sciences.
