Imaging of cranial nerves IX, X, and XI

The glossopharyngeal, vagus, and spinal accessory nerves are grouped together because of their shared nuclear origins in the medulla and common pathways through the basilar cistern and jugular foramen. This article provides an anatomic framework to use for imaging of isolated and complex cranial neuropathies of nerves IX, X, and XI. Pathologic processes that affect those nerves from the brain stem to the mediastinum are presented, and differential diagnoses are provided and categorized by anatomic region.