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©2014 Baishideng Publishing Group Inc. All rights reserved.
World J Otorhinolaryngol. Nov 28, 2014; 4(4): 17-22
Published online Nov 28, 2014. doi: 10.5319/wjo.v4.i4.17
Published online Nov 28, 2014. doi: 10.5319/wjo.v4.i4.17
Clinical anatomy of the tympanic nerve: A review
Todd Kanzara, Department of Surgery, Lister Hospital, Coreys Mill Lane, Stevenage, Hertfordshire SG1 4AB, United Kingdom
Andy Hall, Arvind Singh, Department of ENT, Harrow, Middlesex HA1 3UJ, United Kingdom
Jagdeep Singh Virk, Department of ENT, Queens Hospital, Romford RM7 0AG, United Kingdom
Billy Leung, Department of Anatomy, Kings College, Guys Campus, London SE1 4XA, United Kingdom
Author contributions: Kanzara T, Hall A, Virk JS, Leung B and Singh A all contributed equally to this review; Kanzara T and Hall A conceptualised, designed and drafted the manuscript; Virk JS and Leung B assisted with data acquisition, literature search and analysis; Singh A provided senior supervision data analysis and made critical revisions; all authors reviewed and approved the final manuscript as submitted.
Correspondence to: Dr. Todd Kanzara, Department of Surgery, Lister Hospital, Coreys Mill Lane, Stevenage, Hertfordshire SG1 4AB, United Kingdom. todd.kanzara@nhs.net
Telephone: +44-779-6945100 Fax: +44-170-7224373
Received: July 7, 2014
Revised: August 7, 2014
Accepted: September 4, 2014
Published online: November 28, 2014
Processing time: 162 Days and 9.9 Hours
Revised: August 7, 2014
Accepted: September 4, 2014
Published online: November 28, 2014
Processing time: 162 Days and 9.9 Hours
Core Tip
Core tip: The tympanic nerve is the first branch arising from the inferior ganglion of the glossopharyngeal nerve. Despite its modest size it has a multitude of functions which are not only limited to the middle ear. In this review we detail the clinical anatomy of the tympanic nerve and its surgical applications in Otolaryngology as they have evolved over the years. We also provide a brief summary of the life and achievements of the indefatigable Ludwig Levin Jacobson, an anatomist and military surgeon, who is credited with the discovery of the tympanic nerve.