Morphological, Clinical and Surgical Review on the Glosopharyngeal Nerve

In 1910, Weisenberg first described nephropathy of the glossopharyngeal nerve (NGF) in a young man diagnosed with trigeminal neuralgia and undergoing multiple surgical interventions, reaching the trigeminal ganglion section. Some research has addressed the relationship between the glossopharyngeal nerve and the surrounding structures, from its origin in the brainstem and its path through the skull base. Imaging of the interface between the skull base and the soft tissues of the region is complex, since these structures at the base of the skull exhibit radiological characteristics of great penetrance and can be easily damaged or altered during anatomical dissection or surgery. Although NGF is an uncommon facial syndrome, it is a major neurological disease due to the great suffering it causes, and in some cases, serious problems that may threaten the patient's life, due to the possibility of syncopes and arrhythmias Cardiac disorders. The objective of this work is to perform a biobliographic review of the glossopharyngeal nerve morphology, its vascular relationships, and the importance of its knowledge in clinical and surgery.