"The vagus nerve (TA: nervus vagus or nervus cranialis X), the tenth cranial nerve (CN X), exits the skull through the jugular foramen, travels down the neck within the carotid sheath, over the pericardium and into the abdomen, giving off numerous branches. It is the longest cranial nerve."
"First-line choice for imaging investigation of proximal vagal neuropathy. Sequences should include T1W, T2W, contrast-enhanced T1W FS in axial and coronal planes. Acquired images should extend from the medulla to the hyoid bone."
"The left vagus nerve crosses anterior to the left subclavian artery as it enters the thorax. It passes lateral to the aortic arch as it descends posterior to the hilum of the left lung and towards the oesophageal hiatus, which it passes through to enter the abdominal cavity 3,8."
"The right vagus nerve passes anterior to the right subclavian artery before diving into the fat surrounding the innominate vessels. It reaches the right paratracheal region before descending, like the left, posterior to the lung hilum and then medially to the oesophageal hiatus, which it passes through to enter the abdominal cavity 3,8."
"Near the oesophageal hiatus, the left and right vagus nerves meet and join to form the oesophageal plexus, from which an anterior and posterior vagal trunk (also called gastric nerves) form and descend into the abdomen. The trunks are not composed of equal fibres from the left and right, as the anterior trunk is mainly composed of fibres from the left 3,8."
"Near the oesophageal hiatus, the left and right vagus nerves meet and join to form the oesophageal plexus, from which an anterior and posterior vagal trunk (also called gastric nerves) form and descend into the abdomen. The trunks are not composed of equal fibres from the left and right, as the anterior trunk is mainly composed of fibres from the left 3,8."
"From the superior ganglion 2,3:"
"From the inferior ganglion 2,3:"
"From the vagus nerve 2,3:"
Expected headings
"Intracranial"
"Skull base"
"Neck"
"Chest"
"Abdomen"
"Supranuclear lesions"
"Brainstem lesions"
"Jugular foramen lesions"
"Extracranial lesions"
"There are four cranial nerve nuclei that contribute to the vagus nerves:"
"supplies the pharyngeal constrictor muscles: superior, middle and inferior pharyngeal constrictor muscles"
"other muscles: levator veli palatini, palatoglossus and the muscle of the uvula"
"Supranuclear lesions affecting the vagus often involve other cranial nerves as well, including cranial nerves IX, XI and XII. Unilateral lesions typically reveal little or no deficit due to the bilateral input to the nucleus ambiguus from the corticobulbar regions. Pseudobulbar palsy can occur with bilateral corticobulbar lesions 4."
"neoplasms within the jugular foramen such as jugular paraganglioma, meningioma and schwannoma 4,10"
"'Vagus' is Latin for 'wandering', named because of the long, wandering course of the nerve; the same Latin root gives rise to the English word 'vagrant'."