Table 1:
Sensory innervation of the ear and potential referred pain origin sites
| Nerve | Primary Ear Sensory Innervation | Origin Site of Referred Pain |
|---|---|---|
| CN II and CN III | Inferomedial and lateral pinna | Skin overlying angle of mandible |
| Pre- and postauricular skin | Lateral neck | |
| Lobule | Muscles of neck | |
| Upper cervical facet joints and nerve roots | ||
| Atlantoaxial joint | ||
| CN V | Anterosuperior pinna | Gingival and buccal mucosa of oral cavity |
| External auditory canal | Palate | |
| Tympanic membrane | Floor of the mouth | |
| Anterior two-thirds of the tongue (sensory nerves) | ||
| Mandibular teeth | ||
| TMJ | ||
| Mandible | ||
| Nasal mucosa (sensory nerves) | ||
| Paranasal sinus mucosa (sensory nerves) | ||
| Parotid gland | ||
| CN VII | Conchal bowl | Nasal mucosa (parasympathetic nerves) |
| External auditory canal | Sphenoid and ethmoid sinuses (parasympathetic nerves) | |
| Tympanic membrane | Anterior two-thirds of the tongue (taste fibers) | |
| CN IX | Tympanic membrane | Stylopharyngeus muscle |
| Posterior third of the tongue | ||
| Palatine tonsil | ||
| Carotid body | ||
| Pharyngeal mucosa | ||
| Parapharyngeal space | ||
| Retropharyngeal space | ||
| CN X | Concha | Oropharynx (vallecula and constrictor muscles) |
| Postauricular skin | Larynx | |
| Posterior external auditory canal | Hypopharynx (pyriform sinus) | |
| Tympanic membrane | Visceral space (thyroid, esophagus, and trachea) |