ANATOMICAL PECULIARITIES OF THE CERVICAL PART OF THE VAGUS NERVE DURING FETAL AND EARLY NEONATAL PERIODS OF ONTOGENESIS

Abstract

Anatomical investigations of the vagus during the perinatal period enable to determine morphological aspects of individual changeability, which will form the basis for detection of different variants of structure and developmental defects during the postnatal period of ontogenesis. They can be applied during development of new surgical approaches and methods in neonates and infants. Objective detection of anatomical peculiarities of the cervical part of the vagus nerve during fetal and early period of human ontogenesis. Materials and methods. The study was conducted on 50 specimens of dead fetuses (from 4 to 10 months) and 9 neonates (5 isolated organ complexes in particular) by means of adequate anatomical methods: macro-dissection, making topographic-anatomical sections, morphometry, and statistical analysis. The data obtained were statistically processed by means of the licensed program RStudio. Results. Topography of the vagus nerve in the cervical portion during the perinatal period is found to be changeable. Conclusions. Topography of the vagus nerve in the portion of the neck during the perinatal period of ontogenesis is changeable. In the upper third of the neck the vagus nerve adjoins the anterior-lateral surface of the internal carotid artery. In the middle third it borders on the lateral or anterior-lateral wall of the common carotid artery. In the lower third it borders on the posterior-medial or lateral wall of the internal jugular vein. During the perinatal period the diameters of the right and left vagus nerves are characterized by the two periods of an accelerated development (from the 4 to the 6 month of the intrauterine development and from the 9th month to the neonatal period 4), and the period of relatively slow development (from the 6th month to the 9 month of the intrauterine development). During the perinatal period the upper and lower branches of the upper laryngeal nerve and external carotid artery are the walls of the cervical triangle, which serves as an additional topographic-anatomical sign during surgery performed on infants.