Stellate Ganglion — FRCA Primary MCQ
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Correct answer: A — Inferior cervical and first thoracic sympathetic ganglia
The correct answer is A. The stellate, or cervicothoracic, ganglion results from fusion of the inferior cervical sympathetic ganglion with the first thoracic sympathetic ganglion. This fusion is a common variant, present in approximately 70–80% of individuals; when the ganglia remain separate, there is no single stellate ganglion. It is usually situated at the cervicothoracic junction, anterior to the neck of the first rib and near the C7 transverse process. The superior and middle cervical ganglia do not form it, and fusion between two thoracic ganglia or between the middle and inferior cervical ganglia represents neither the usual definition nor formation of the stellate ganglion.
Reference: Cobianchi Bellisari F et al. Anatomy, Imaging, and Clinical Significance of the Cervicothoracic (Stellate) Ganglion, 2025. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/41300935/