Clinical anatomy of the tympanic nerve: A review

Abstract

The tympanic (Jacobson’s) nerve is a useful anatomical structure in the middle ear with both practical and physiological functions extending beyond its origin. The paper reviews its clinical anatomy in adults and its� surgical� signiༀ・cance.� English� language� articles� from� 5 major databases and Google scholar search engine were used to identify papers outlining the anatomy of the tympanic nerve, associated pathology and surgical relevance. In the majority of cases the tympanic nerve arises from the inferior ganglion of the glossopharyngeal nerve traversing through the tympanic canaliculus into the middle ear. On the promontory it coalesces with� sympathetic� ༀ・bres� from� the� carotid� chain� forming� the tympanic plexus which has individual variability. Functionally,� as� well� as� giving� off� parasympathetic� ༀ・bres� to the parotid gland via the lesser petrosal nerve, it is a useful anatomical landmark for cochlear implantation. The surgical importance of the tympanic nerve is not only restricted to middle ear surgery; it also extends to REVIEW