Thoracic Neurology

Question 1

What are the regions of the esophagus?

Answer 1

• Cervical part
• Thoracic part found between T1 and esophageal hiatus of diaphragm through the posterior mediastinum
• Abdominal part

Question 2

What are the constriction points of the esophagus?

Answer 2

• At cricopharyngeas mm (referred to as upper eso sphincter)
• At aortic arch
• At left bronchus
• At esophageal hiatus of thoracic diaphragm (referred to as lower eso sphincter)

Question 3

Difference btw right and left recurrent nerves?

Answer 3

• Right: Made in the neck and loops under the subclavian back to larynx
• Left:Under aortic arch and back up to larynx

Question 4

Wehre do superior and middle cardiac branches come off?

Answer 4

Vagus in the neck

Question 5

Where does the inferior cardiac branch come off of?

Answer 5

• Vagus nerve in the thorax

Question 6

Left vagus makes ___ trunk and right vagus makes ____ trunk

Answer 6

Left vagus makes anterior vagal trunk and right vagus makes posterior vagal trunk

Question 7

Answer 7

Question 8

What is phrenic nerve traveling between in the thorax?

Answer 8

Mediastinal parietal pleura and fibrous pericardium

(parietal pleura not pictured)

Question 9

Why are T1-2 atypical intercostal nerves?

Answer 9

• T1 anterior rami are still involved with brachial plexus of nerves
• T2 makes intercostobrachial nerve

Question 10

Why are T7-11 atypical?

Answer 10

They no longer have a rib once they get around the front, they become the thoracoabdominal n

Question 11

What are the five general priciples of the autonomic nervous system?

Answer 11

1. typically symp is catabolic fight or flight
2. typically PSNS is anabolic, normal function and energy conservation
3. PSNS has limited distribution, never body walls or extremities, SNS goes to all vascular areas of body
4. Glandular secretion is stim by PSNS (except sweat) the SNS can indirectly decrease non sweat gland secretion via vasoconstriction
5. Vasoconstriction is sym stimulated (except coronary arteries)

Question 12

Answer 12

VAN

Question 13

Answer 13

the branches are contributions to the greater sphlanchnic nerve

Question 14

What branches do vagus make?

Answer 14

• Superior middle and inferior cardiac branches
• Pulmonary branches
• Esophageal branches

Question 15

Are pulm sphlanchinc nerves pre synaptic or post synaptic?

Answer 15

• Postsynaptic

Question 16

Esophageal plexus?

Answer 16

• Sympathetic contribution comes from greater splanchnic nerve
• PSNS contribution is from esophageal branches of vagus nerve

Question 17

PSNS and SNS contribution to the supericial and deep cardic plexus?

Answer 17

• Cardiac splanchnic nerve are sympathetic
• PSNS is superior middle and inferior cardiac branches of vagus

Question 18

PSNS and SNS contributions into pulmonary plexus?

Answer 18

• SNS: pulmonary splanchnic nerves
• PSNS: pulmonary branches of vagus

Question 19

SNS and PSNS contribution to aortic plexus?

Answer 19

• SNS: continuous with superficial cardiac plexus
• PSNS: continuous wit hsuperficial cardiac plexus