The glossopharyngeal nerve [IX] leaves the skull through the jugular foramen and descends along the posterior surface of the stylopharyngeus muscle. It passes around the lateral surface of the stylopharyngeus and then slips through the posterior aspect of the gap (oropharyngeal triangle) between the superior constrictor, middle constrictor, and mylohyoid muscles. The nerve then passes forward on the oropharyngeal wall just below the inferior pole of the palatine tonsil and enters the pharyngeal part of the tongue deep to the styloglossus and hyoglossus muscles. In addition to taste and general sensation on the posterior one-third of the tongue, branches creep anterior to the terminal sulcus of the tongue to carry taste (SA) and general sensation from the vallate papillae.