Understanding the nerve distribution along the dermatomes is
helpful in determining how certain diseases, such as shingles and
some other neurological conditions, target one area of the body.
The letter-number combinations show the relationship between each
area and its corresponding sensory nerve. The vertebrae are
classified as C for cervical, T for thoracic, L for lumbar, and S
for sacral. The trigeminal nerve is the fifth cranial nerve,
represented by V.
Review Date: 05/25/2010
Reviewed By: Linda J. Vorvick, MD, Medical Director, MEDEX Northwest Division of
Physician Assistant Studies, University of Washington, School of
Medicine; Jatin M. Vyas, MD, PhD, Assistant Professor in Medicine,
Harvard Medical School; Assistant in Medicine, Division of
Infectious Disease, Department of Medicine, Massachusetts General
Hospital. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director,
A.D.A.M., Inc.
A.D.A.M., Inc. is accredited by URAC, also known as the American Accreditation HealthCare Commission (www.urac.org)
