Some unusual types of formation of the ansa cervicalis in humans and proposal of a new morphological classification

Abstract

Ansa cervicalis (ansa hypoglossi) is a peripheral nerve structure-the primary choice for laryngeal reinnervation. Because the ansa formation is quite variable in humans, it is an object of a number of proposed classifications. Two interesting cases of formation of the ansa cervicalis were found during routine anatomical dissections. In the first case the unusual ansa had three basic roots-a superior one from the hypoglossal nerve, an aberrant middle root from the vagus nerve and an inferior root, coming from the cervical ventral branches. In the second case an ansa was described having roots from the vagus nerve and cervical ventral branches. Based on the reported variations and extensive review of the pertinent literature, a new morphological classification of the ansa cervicalis formation in human is proposed here.