Pharyngeal plexus

Anatomy

The pharyngeal plexus occurs upon the outer surface of the pharynx - especially superficial to the middle pharyngeal constrictor muscle.

Afferents

It has the following components:

• Motor – pharyngeal branch of vagus nerve (CN X) which arises from the superior portion of the inferior ganglion of vagus nerve, with the neuron cell bodies of its axons residing in the nucleus ambiguus. The pharyngeal branch ramifies upon reaching the superior border of the middle pharyngeal constrictor muscle. It is unclear whether the cranial root of accessory nerve (CN XI)
• Sensory – pharyngeal branches of glossopharyngeal nerve.
• Sympathetic vasomotor – efferent fibres of the superior cervical ganglion.

Because the cranial part of accessory nerve (CN XI) leaves the jugular foramen as a part of the CN X, it is sometimes considered part of the plexus as well.

Efferents/distribution

En route to their target tissues, outgoing fibres from the pharyngeal plexus at first either ascend upon the superior pharyngeal constrictor muscle or descend upon the inferior pharyngeal constrictor muscle, then ramify within the pharyngeal muscular layer and mucous membrane.

Motor

Fibers from CN X innervate all the muscles of the pharynx (except stylopharyngeus, which is innervated directly by a branch of CN IX). This includes an outer circular layer of three constrictor muscles (superior, middle, inferior) that propel food downwards and an inner longitudinal layer (stylopharyngeus, salpingopharyngeus, palatopharyngeus) that elevate the larynx and shorten the pharynx during swallowing.

In addition to the muscles of the pharynx, the pharyngeal plexus also innervates all of the muscles of the nearby soft palate (except tensor veli palatini), including the levator veli palatini, musculus uvulae, palatoglossus, and palatopharyngeus.

Sensory

The pharyngeal plexus provides sensory innervation to most of the pharynx; it provides sensory innervation to the oropharynx and laryngopharynx from CN IX and CN X. (The nasopharynx above the pharyngotympanic tube and the torus tubarius is innervated by CN V2).

Additional images

File:Slide5ggg.JPG|Pharyngeal plexus File:Slide2mmm.JPG|Pharyngeal plexus

References

References

1. Standring, Susan. (2020). "Gray's Anatomy: The Anatomical Basis of Clinical Practice".
2. (2001). "Textbook of head and neck anatomy". Lippincott Williams & Wilkins.
3. (2025). "Anatomy, Head and Neck: Pharyngeal Muscles". StatPearls Publishing.
4. (2025). "Anatomy, Head and Neck, Palate". StatPearls Publishing.