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Peripheral lesions| Cranial Nerve VII - Facial Nerve | Page 18 of 28 |
Course of the Chorda Tympani
The pre-ganglionic fibers of the chorda tympani branch from the other fibers of CN VII as they pass through the facial canal just posterior to the middle ear.
The fibers pass through the middle ear in close relationship with the tympanic membrane and exit the base of the skull to enter the inferotemporal fossa:
Figure 16a. Course of the chorda tympani, inner ear.
In the inferotemporal fossa the chorda tympani joins the fibers of the lingual branch of the mandibular division of CN V (V3).
CN VII pre-ganglionic fibers synapse in the submandibular ganglion suspended from the lingual nerve (V3). Post-ganglionic fibers then either enter the submandibular gland directly or again follow the lingual nerve before branching to innervate the sublingual gland:
