The cardiac plexus is a

plexus In neuroanatomy, a plexus (from the Latin term for "braid") is a branching network of vessels or nerves. The vessels may be blood vessels (veins, capillaries) or lymphatic vessels. The nerves are typically axons outside the central nervous sy ...

of nerves situated at the base of the

heart The heart is a muscular organ found in most animals. This organ pumps blood through the blood vessels of the circulatory system. The pumped blood carries oxygen and nutrients to the body, while carrying metabolic waste such as carbon diox ...

that innervates the heart.

Structure

The cardiac plexus is divided into a superficial part, which lies in the concavity of the

aortic arch The aortic arch, arch of the aorta, or transverse aortic arch () is the part of the aorta between the ascending and descending aorta. The arch travels backward, so that it ultimately runs to the left of the trachea. Structure The aorta begins ...

, and a deep part, between the aortic arch and the

trachea The trachea, also known as the windpipe, is a cartilaginous tube that connects the larynx to the bronchi of the lungs, allowing the passage of air, and so is present in almost all air-breathing animals with lungs. The trachea extends from th ...

. The two parts are, however, closely connected. The sympathetic component of the cardiac plexus comes from

cardiac nerve The cardiac nerves are autonomic nerves which supply the heart. They include: * Superior cardiac nerve (nervus cardiacus cervicalis superior) * Middle cardiac nerve (nervus cardiacus cervicalis medius) * Inferior cardiac nerve The inferior cardiac ...

s, which originate from the sympathetic trunk. The

parasympathetic The parasympathetic nervous system (PSNS) is one of the three divisions of the autonomic nervous system, the others being the sympathetic nervous system and the enteric nervous system. The enteric nervous system is sometimes considered part o ...

component of the cardiac plexus originates from the

cardiac branches of the vagus nerve The cardiac branches of the vagus nerve are two sets of nerves found in the upper torso, in close proximity to the larynx. The specific branches are the cervical cardiac branches of vagus nerve and the thoracic cardiac branches of vagus nerve. Cerv ...

Superficial part

The superficial part of the cardiac plexus lies beneath the arch of the aorta, in front of the

right pulmonary artery A pulmonary artery is an artery in the pulmonary circulation that carries deoxygenated blood from the right side of the heart to the lungs. The largest pulmonary artery is the ''main pulmonary artery'' or ''pulmonary trunk'' from the heart, and t ...

. It is formed by the superior cervical cardiac branch of the left

sympathetic trunk The sympathetic trunks (sympathetic chain, gangliated cord) are a paired bundle of nerve fibers that run from the base of the skull to the coccyx. They are a major component of the sympathetic nervous system. Structure The sympathetic trunk lies ...

and the inferior cardiac branch of the left

vagus nerve The vagus nerve, also known as the tenth cranial nerve, cranial nerve X, or simply CN X, is a cranial nerve that interfaces with the parasympathetic control of the heart, lungs, and digestive tract. It comprises two nerves—the left and rig ...

. A small ganglion, the ''cardiac ganglion of Wrisberg'', is occasionally found connected with these nerves at their point of junction. This ganglion, when present, is situated immediately beneath the arch of the aorta, on the right side of the

ligamentum arteriosum The ligamentum arteriosum (arterial ligament), also known as the Ligament of Botallo or Harvey's ligament, is a small ligament attaching the aorta to the pulmonary artery. It serves no function in adults but is the remnant of the ductus arteriosu ...

. The superficial part of the cardiac plexus gives branches to: * the deep part of the plexus. * the anterior coronary plexus. * the left anterior pulmonary plexus.

Deep part

The deep part of the cardiac plexus is situated in front of the bifurcation of the

(known as the carina), above the point of division of the pulmonary artery, and behind the aortic arch. It is formed by the cardiac nerves derived from the cervical ganglia of the sympathetic trunk, and the cardiac branches of the vagus and

recurrent laryngeal nerve The recurrent laryngeal nerve (RLN) is a branch of the vagus nerve (cranial nerve X) that supplies all the intrinsic muscles of the larynx, with the exception of the cricothyroid muscles. There are two recurrent laryngeal nerves, right and le ...

s. The only cardiac nerves which do not enter into the formation of the deep part of the cardiac plexus are the superior cardiac nerve of the left sympathetic trunk, and the lower of the two superior cervical cardiac branches from the left vagus nerve, which pass to the superficial part of the plexus.

Right half

The branches from the right half of the deep part of the cardiac plexus pass, some in front of, and others behind, the right pulmonary artery; the former, the more numerous, transmit a few filaments to the anterior pulmonary plexus, and are then continued onward to form part of the anterior coronary plexus; those behind the pulmonary artery distribute a few filaments to the right atrium, and are then continued onward to form part of the posterior coronary plexus.

Left half

The left half of the deep part of the plexus is connected with the superficial part of the cardiac plexus, and gives filaments to the left atrium, and to the anterior pulmonary plexus, and is then continued to form the greater part of the posterior coronary plexus.

References

External links

* () * {{Authority control Nerve plexus Nerves of the torso Heart