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paraganglia

Friday 29 October 2004

Paraganglia form a system formed by widely dispersed collections of specialized neural crest cells that arise in association with the segmental or collateral autonomic ganglia throughout the body.

Components

- adrenal medulla (adrenal paraganglia)
- extra-adrenal paraganglia

  • branchiomeric paraganglia (chemoreceptors associated with arterial vessels and cranial nerves of the head and neck)
    • jugulotympanic paraganglia
    • orbital paraganglia
    • intercarotid paraganglia (carotid bodies and glomus jugulare)
    • subclavian paraganglia
    • laryngeal paraganglia
    • coronary paraganglia
    • aorticopulmonary paraganglia (aortic bodies)
  • intravagal paraganglia
    • vagal body (jugular ganglion)
  • aortosympathetic paraganglia (aortic bifurcation region, ilaic and femoral vessels regions)

Pathology

- tumors: paragangliomas