Peripheral course and intramucosal distribution of the laryngeal sensory nerve fibers of cats.

In order to demonstrate distribution of the laryngeal peripheral sensory nerve fibers of cats, wheat germ agglutinin-horseradish peroxidase was injected into the nodose ganglion. The results were as follows: The internal branch of the superior laryngeal nerve (SLN) innervated ipsilaterally the epiglottis, the aryepiglottic fold, the arytenoid eminence, the rostral aspect of the vocal fold, the laryngeal vestibulum and the mucosa covering the posterior cricoarytenoid muscle. The posterior branch of the recurrent laryngeal nerve (RLN) was divided into two branches. One branch formed Galen's anastomosis together with fibers of the internal branch of the SLN. The other supplied the caudal aspect of the vocal folds and the subglottis, together with fibers of the internal branch of the SLN, bilaterally with ipsilateral predominance. Some fibers of the internal branch of the SLN united with some fibers of the posterior branch of the RLN and penetrated the cricoid foramen to innervate the posterior wall of the glottis and the medial aspect of the arytenoid cartilage bilaterally with ipsilateral predominance.