Internal carotid plexus

Internal carotid plexus
Sympathetic connections of the ciliary and superior cervical ganglia. (Carotid plexus visible center top.) Note that the label "Sympathetic Efferent Fibres" above the nerves arising in the midbrain is an error. This label should read "Parasympathetic Efferent Fibres" as the sphincter pupillæ and ciliary muscle are innervated only by parasympathetic fibres.
Diagram of the cervical sympathetic. (Carotid plexus visible center top.)
Details
Identifiers
Latinplexus caroticus internus
TA98A14.3.03.004
TA26645
FMA67533
Anatomical terms of neuroanatomy
Scheme showing sympathetic and parasympathetic innervation of the pupil and sites of lesion in a Horner's syndrome.

The internal carotid plexus is a nerve plexus situated upon the lateral side of the internal carotid artery. It is composed of post-ganglionic sympathetic fibres which have synapsed at (i.e. have their nerve cell bodies at) the superior cervical ganglion. The plexus gives rise to the deep petrosal nerve.[1]

  1. ^ Goosmann, Madeline M.; Dalvin, Mark (2023), "Anatomy, Head and Neck, Deep Petrosal Nerve", StatPearls, Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing, PMID 30521238, retrieved 2023-07-31