Great Auricular Nerve, Lateral View

Description

Arising from the cervical plexus, the great auricular nerve is traced from the upper cervical spinal nerves (classically C2 to C3) as it winds posterior to the sternocleidomastoid and then ascends on the muscle’s superficial surface toward the parotid and auricular regions. From a lateral skull and neck perspective, its course is read against the mastoid process and angle of the mandible, with the external ear positioned superior and slightly posterior to the nerve’s terminal distribution. Adjacent cranial nerve anatomy is also apparent, including facial nerve branching within the parotid region and other superficial sensory nerves crossing the lateral neck. Bone landmarks and sutures remain visible as fixed reference points. Clear identification of the great auricular nerve matters because it is one of the sensory nerves most frequently encountered, and injured, in lateral neck surgery. During parotidectomy, facelift (rhytidectomy), and incision planning along the posterior border of the sternocleidomastoid, this nerve guides safe dissection planes while also explaining postoperative numbness over the lobule, concha, and parotid skin when traction or transection occurs. A common teaching point is its predictable superficial course on sternocleidomastoid, which separates it from deeper structures at risk in the carotid sheath. Surgical anatomy courses, head and neck dissection labs, and otolaryngology or maxillofacial publications can use this view to orient learners to cervical plexus cutaneous branches in relation to the mandible, mastoid, and parotid gland surface anatomy. It also fits well in patient education materials discussing expected sensory changes after parotid or cosmetic neck procedures. Anatomical accuracy verified by SciePro's Medical Advisory Board.