This site is intended for healthcare professionals

Go to /sign-in page

You can view 5 more pages before signing in

Superior cardiac nerve (vagus, anatomy)

Last reviewed dd mmm yyyy. Last edited dd mmm yyyy

Authoring team

The superior cardiac nerves are branches of the vagus nerve which originate just distal to the inferior vagal ganglion. On each side there are two branches of the superior cardiac nerve, superior and inferior:

  • right superior and inferior branches: descend deep to the subclavian artery on the right inferior surface of the anterior trachea to diverge into the deep cardiac plexus
  • left superior branch: descends on left side of trachea anterior to oesophagus and deep to the aortic arch to merge with the deep cardiac plexus
  • left inferior branch: descends lateral to the trachea before passing over the arch of the aorta and merging with the superficial cardiac plexus in the region of the ligamentum arteriosum

The cardiac nerves carry general visceral parasympathetic motor fibres.


Create an account to add page annotations

Add information to this page that would be handy to have on hand during a consultation, such as a web address or phone number. This information will always be displayed when you visit this page

The content herein is provided for informational purposes and does not replace the need to apply professional clinical judgement when diagnosing or treating any medical condition. A licensed medical practitioner should be consulted for diagnosis and treatment of any and all medical conditions.

Connect

Copyright 2024 Oxbridge Solutions Limited, a subsidiary of OmniaMed Communications Limited. All rights reserved. Any distribution or duplication of the information contained herein is strictly prohibited. Oxbridge Solutions receives funding from advertising but maintains editorial independence.