Surgical Anatomy of the Oral Tongue

Rodrigo Arrangoiz MS, MD, FACS, FSSO
  • The oral tongue:
    • Is the freely mobile anterior two-thirds of the tongue
  • The oral tongue is demarcated from the base of tongue by:
    • The circumvallate papillae posteriorly
  • The tongue may be subdivided into:
    • The tip, dorsum, lateral borders and ventral surface
  • The ventral and lateral surfaces:
    • Are in continuity with the floor of mouth:
      • Having a lining mucosa with nonkeratinizing stratified squamous epithelium
  • The dorsum and tip of tongue:
    • Are lined by specialized gustatory mucosa:
      • With a thick, primarily keratinized epithelium
  • The mucosa of the tongue:
    • Overlies the intrinsic muscles of the tongue, in addition to the four paired extrinsic muscles of the tongue:
      • Genioglossus
      • Hyoglossus
      • Styloglossus
      • Palatoglossus
  • Motor innervation to muscles of the tongue:
    • Is via the hypoglossal nerve, except palatoglossus:
      • Which is supplied by the vagus nerve
  • Sensation of the tongue is supplied by the lingual nerve:
    • A branch of the mandibular division of the trigeminal nerve
  • Taste sensation of the oral tongue:
    • Is supplied by fibers of the facial nerve that run with the lingual nerve before passing to the chorda tympanic branch of the facial nerve
  • Lymphatic drainage of the lateral borders of the tongue:
    • Is to the ipsilateral cervical nodes
  • Drainage of the midline, tip and base of tongue:
    • Occurs bilaterally
  • The blood supply to the tongue:
    • Is provided by the paired lingual arteries:
      • The third branches of the external carotid artery
  • During resection of posterior tongue lesions:
    • The contralateral vascular pedicle should be preserved if the tongue tip is to be maintained
  • The tongue is a complex structure with an important role in:
  • Mastication, deglutition and speech
#Arrangoiz #CancerSurgeon #MountSinaiMedicalCenter

Published by Rodrigo Arrangoiz MS, MD, FACS, FSSO

My name is Rodrigo Arrangoiz I am a breast surgeon/ thyroid surgeon / parathyroid surgeon / head and neck surgeon / surgical oncologist that works at Center for Advanced Surgical Oncology in Miami, Florida. I was trained as a surgeon at Michigan State University from (2005 to 2010) where I was a chief resident in 2010. My surgical oncology and head and neck training was performed at the Fox Chase Cancer Center in Philadelphia from 2010 to 2012. At the same time I underwent a masters in science (Clinical research for health professionals) at the University of Drexel. Through the International Federation of Head and Neck Societies / Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center I performed a two year head and neck surgery and oncology / endocrine fellowship that ended in 2016. Mi nombre es Rodrigo Arrangoiz, soy cirujano oncólogo / cirujano de tumores de cabeza y cuello / cirujano endocrino que trabaja Center for Advanced Surgical Oncology en Miami, Florida. Fui entrenado como cirujano en Michigan State University (2005 a 2010 ) donde fui jefe de residentes en 2010. Mi formación en oncología quirúrgica y e n tumores de cabeza y cuello se realizó en el Fox Chase Cancer Center en Filadelfia de 2010 a 2012. Al mismo tiempo, me sometí a una maestría en ciencias (investigación clínica para profesionales de la salud) en la Universidad de Drexel. A través de la Federación Internacional de Sociedades de Cabeza y Cuello / Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center realicé una sub especialidad en cirugía de cabeza y cuello / cirugia endocrina de dos años que terminó en 2016.

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