Esophageal plexus

Esophageal plexus
The tracheobronchial lymph glands. (Esophageal plexus visible at bottom center.)
Course and distribution of the glossopharyngeal, vagus, and accessory nerves.
Details
Latin	plexus oesophageus
From	vagus nerve and sympathetic trunk
To	esophagus(same fibers make up the cardiac plexus
Identifiers
Gray's	p.913
Dorlands /Elsevier	p_24/12648173
TA	A14.2.01.173
FMA	6225
Anatomical terms of neuroanatomy

The esophageal plexus is formed by nerve fibers from two sources: 1.branches of the vagus nerve 2.visceral branches of the sympathetic trunk. The esophageal plexus and the cardiac plexus contain the same types of fibers and are both considered thoracic autonomic plexus(es).

Parasympathetic Fibers

1. The Vagus nerve delivers two fiber types to the esophageal plexus:

A. Preganglionic Parasympathetic fibers (Preganglionic fibers) - These fibers have their cell bodies located in the dorsal motor nucleus of the vagus and they will synapse on the terminal ganglia in the walls of the esophagus.
B. Afferent fibers- These fibers are primarily concerned with autonomic reflexes and they have their cell bodies in the inferior ganglion of the vagus.

Note: These vagal fibers in the esophageal plexus reform to make the anterior vagal trunk (left vagus) and the posterior vagal trunk (right vagus). Anterior and posterior being terms in relation to the esophagus, a mnemonic for which is 'LARP': Left becomes Anterior, Right becomes Posterior.

Sympathetic Fibers

2. The visceral branches of the sympathetic trunk also deliver two fiber types to the esophageal plexus

A. sympathetic postganglionic fibers- The cell bodies of these fibers are located in the sympathetic chain ganglia. The cell bodies of the preganglionic fibers, the first neuron of this two neuron chain, are located in the intermediolateral cell column (IMLCC) of the thoracic spinal cord.
B. Afferent fibers- These fibers are primarily concerned with pain and have cell bodies located in the dorsal root ganglion.

Additional images

The right sympathetic chain and its connections with the thoracic, abdominal, and pelvic plexuses.

References

This article incorporates text in the public domain from the 20th edition of Gray's Anatomy (1918)

External links

esophageal+%28nervous%29+plexus at eMedicine Dictionary
vagal+trunk at eMedicine Dictionary
Anatomy photo:21:11-0105 at the SUNY Downstate Medical Center - "Mediastinum: The Esophageal Plexus"

Anatomy of the autonomic nervous system

Head

Sympathetic	Ciliary ganglion: roots Sensory Sympathetic Short ciliary

Parasympathetic	Ciliary ganglion: roots Sensory Parasympathetic Short ciliary Pterygopalatine ganglion: deep petrosal nerve of pterygoid canal branches of distribution: greater palatine inferior posterior nasal branches lesser palatine nasopalatine medial superior posterior nasal branches pharyngeal Submandibular ganglion Otic ganglion

Neck

Sympathetic	paravertebral ganglia: Cervical ganglia Superior Middle Inferior Stellate ganglion prevertebral plexus: Cavernous plexus Internal carotid

Chest

Sympathetic	paravertebral ganglia: Thoracic ganglia prevertebral plexus: Cardiac plexus Esophageal plexus Pulmonary plexus Thoracic aortic plexus splanchnic nerves: cardiopulmonary thoracic cardiac nerves: Superior Middle Inferior

Abdomen

Sympathetic	paravertebral ganglia: Lumbar ganglia prevertebral ganglia: Celiac ganglia Aorticorenal Superior mesenteric ganglion Inferior mesenteric ganglion prevertebral plexus: Celiac plexus Hepatic Splenic Pancreatic aorticorenal Abdominal aortic plexus Renal/Suprarenal Superior mesenteric Gastric Inferior mesenteric Spermatic Ovarian Superior hypogastric hypogastric nerve Superior rectal Inferior hypogastric Vesical Prostatic / Cavernous nerves of penis Uterovaginal Middle rectal splanchnic nerves: Lumbar splanchnic nerves

Enteric	Meissner's plexus Auerbach's plexus

Pelvis

Sympathetic	paravertebral ganglia: Sacral ganglia Ganglion impar splanchnic nerves: Sacral splanchnic nerves

Parasympathetic	splanchnic nerves: Pelvic splanchnic nerves