| Lesser occipital nerve | |
|---|---|
 Side of neck, showing chief surface markings. (Lesser occip. nerve labeled at center right.) | |
 The nerves of the scalp, face, and side of neck. (Smaller occipital visible below and to the left of the ear.) | |
| Details | |
| From | Cervical plexus (C2) |
| Innervates | Cutaneous innervation of the posterior aspect of the auricle and mastoid region |
| Identifiers | |
| Latin | nervus occipitalis minor |
| TA98 | A14.2.02.017 |
| TA2 | 6384 |
| FMA | 6871 |
| Anatomical terms of neuroanatomy | |
The lesser occipital nerve (or small occipital nerve[1]) is a cutaneous spinal nerve of the cervical plexus.[2] It arises from second cervical (spinal) nerve (C2) (along with the greater occipital nerve). It innervates the skin of the back of the upper neck and of the scalp posterior to the ear.
- ^ Yu, Megan; Wang, Shu-Min (2023), "Anatomy, Head and Neck, Occipital Nerves", StatPearls, Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing, PMID 31194370, retrieved 2023-06-22
- ^ Sinnatamby, Chummy S. (2011). Last's Anatomy (12th ed.). Elsevier Australia. p. 334. ISBN 978-0-7295-3752-0.