auriculotemporal nerve

Origin

• mandibular nerve

Innervation

• parotid gland (parasympathetic secretomotor)
• skin of temple & scalp
• external acoustic meatus
• tympanic membrane
• auricle

Course

• the nerve generally arises by 2 roots, adjacent to the middle meningial artery
• it passes through the parotid gland, conveying postsynaptic parasympathetic secretomotor fibers from the otic ganglion, & continuing to terminate in the skin of the temple & the scalp

Branches

• anterior auricular nerve
• communicating branch to the facial nerve (CN VII)

More general terms

• peripheral nerve