A dorsal root (spinal) ganglion is a swelling on the dorsal root of each spinal nerve that contains the cell bodies of all the sensory neurons for that body segment. It usually lies in the intervertebral foramen, just before the dorsal and ventral roots join. The neurons are pseudounipolar, with one branch running out to the body and the other into the spinal cord, and no synapses occur in the ganglion.
| Origin | Neural crest derived sensory neurons on the dorsal root of each spinal nerve |
|---|---|
| Course | Lies in or near the intervertebral foramen; its central processes enter the spinal cord through the dorsal rootlets and its peripheral processes join the spinal nerve |
| Motor |
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| Sensory |
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Varicella zoster virus lies dormant in dorsal root ganglia and reactivates as shingles, a painful rash in one dermatome that can leave postherpetic neuralgia. The position of the ganglion matters in plexus injuries: a lesion proximal to it (root avulsion) leaves the peripheral sensory nerve intact, so sensory nerve action potentials are preserved despite numbness. Diseases that destroy the ganglion cells (sensory neuronopathy, from Sjogren syndrome, paraneoplastic anti-Hu antibodies or cisplatin) cause sensory ataxia, and the ganglion is a target for neuromodulation in chronic pain.
Reactivation of varicella zoster virus in a dorsal root ganglion causes burning pain followed by a band of blisters in one dermatome, most often on the trunk. Older patients are at risk of postherpetic neuralgia, and vaccination reduces the risk.
Immune, paraneoplastic or toxic damage to dorsal root ganglion neurons causes patchy, non-length-dependent numbness and loss of position sense, producing an unsteady gait and clumsy hands.
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