Microvascularization of the rat superior cervical ganglion. A three-dimensional observation.

The three-dimensional image of the microvascularization of the rat superior cervical ganglion (SCG) was examined using the vascular corrosion cast technique in conjunction with scanning electron microscopy. It was found that the rat SCG was a highly vascularized organ. Arteries supplying the ganglion gave rise to a subcapsular capillary plexus before branching off to become intraganglionic capillaries. Two types of intraganglionic capillaries, large and small, were observed throughout the organ. Numerous anastomoses among these capillaries were found before they converged into venules and collecting veins. However, a pattern of blood vessels resembling portal-like intraganglionic microcirculation could not be demonstrated.