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The vagus nerve begins in the head exiting through the jugular foramen, passing through the carotid sheath, and descending through the neck.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
- In the neck, the vagus nerve of each side runs pretty much in parallel with the other and the phrenic nerves, down to the level of the sternocostal joints<\/li>
- At the level of the sternocostal joints their course changes, and has to be distinguished (see\u00a0left<\/strong>\u00a0and\u00a0right vagus nerve<\/strong>\u00a0below).<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n
Left vagus nerve<\/h4>\n<\/span>\n\n\n
- The left vagus nerve enters the thorax posteriorly to the left common carotid and the left subclavian arteries<\/li>
- At the level of the arch of the aorta, it passes posteriorly and ceases to run parallel with the phrenic nerve<\/strong> which continues anteriorly<\/li>
- The superior intercostal vein crosses at this point posterior to the phrenic and superior or more superficially to the vagus<\/li>
- At the inferior border of the arch of the aorta, the (left) recurrent laryngeal nerve <\/strong>branches off, passing underneath the arch of the aorta right next to the ligamentum arteriosum, ascending to the neck, left to the trachea<\/li>
- When the left vagus passes behind the root of the left lung it forms the left pulmonary, esophageal, and cardiac plexuses.<\/li><\/ol>\n\n\n<\/span>\n
Right vagus nerve<\/h4>\n<\/span>\n\n\n
- The right vagus nerve enters the thorax anterior to the subclavian artery and posterior to the sternoclavicular joint<\/li>
- As it passes the subclavian artery, the (right) recurrent laryngeal nerve<\/strong> branches off, passing underneath the subclavian artery (forming a hook) and ascends to the neck, right to the trachea<\/li>
- The right vagus nerve continues downwards through the superior mediastinum along the right side of the trachea, passing posterior to the right brachiocephalic vein, superior vena cava, and the root of the right lung<\/li>
- The right vagus nerve branches out, forming the right pulmonary, esophageal, and cardiac plexuses.<\/li><\/ol>\n\n\n\n
![\"\"](\"http:\/\/meddists.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/09\/800px-Trachea.jpg\")
Vagus and recurrent laryngeal nerves<\/strong> \u2014 Adapted from the work of Anatomist90 \u2014 CC BY-SA 3.0<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n ![\"\"](\"https:\/\/meddists.com\/learn\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/recurrent-laryngeal.png\")
The left vagus and recurrent laryngeal nerves<\/strong><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/span>