During a superficial parotidectomy, the surgeon identifies the main trunk of the facial nerve entering the gland, where it divides into its five terminal branches. This branching pattern within the parotid gland is called:
- A Pes anserinus ✓
- B Plexus of Krause
- C Nervus intermedius
- D Wrisberg's ganglion
Correct answer: A. Pes anserinus
Explanation
Within the parotid gland, the facial nerve divides into its two main divisions and then five branches: temporal (temporofrontal), zygomatic, buccal, marginal mandibular, and cervical. This goose-foot shaped branching is termed the pes anserinus, and the nerve separates the parotid into superficial and deep lobes. Nervus intermedius is the sensory and parasympathetic root of the facial nerve in the internal auditory canal, and neither Krause's plexus nor Wrisberg's ganglion describes the terminal branching pattern.
Reference: Gray's Anatomy, 42nd ed.
High-yield for: NEET PGINI-CETNExTFMGEUSMLEPLABMRCP
Written and medically reviewed by the StethoPrep medical team.