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Pacinian corpuscle

Hypodermis & appendages · detail · Rapidly adapting II Vibration 200-300 Hz

Large encapsulated rapidly adapting type II mechanoreceptor in the deep reticular dermis and hypodermis, also found in joint capsules and periosteum, tuned to high-frequency vibration and rapid deep pressure change.

Traced from the start

  1. Stratum basale (germinativum)
  2. Lamina densa (type IV collagen basement membrane)Sublamina densa anchoring fibrils (type VII collagen)
  3. Papillary dermis
  4. Reticular dermis
  5. Pacinian corpuscle

Detail

Modality
Vibration around 200-300 Hz and transient deep pressure; its layered capsule filters out sustained pressure so only change is transmitted
Receptive field
Large and poorly localised, the opposite of the Merkel and Meissner units
Afferent
Large myelinated A-beta fibres in the dorsal column-medial lemniscus pathway

When it goes wrong

Large-fibre peripheral neuropathy or dorsal column disease (diabetes, vitamin B12 deficiency, tabes dorsalis)

Early loss of vibration sense to a 128 Hz tuning fork and of joint position sense, with a positive Romberg sign, before pinprick is affected

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