title: The anatomy of the intralingual neural interconnections.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The intrinsic lingual neural interconnections are overlooked. It was hypothesized that intralingual anatomically well defined anastomoses interconnect the somatic and autonomic neural systems of the tongue. It was thus aimed to evaluate the intralingual neural scaffold in human tongues.
  
  
  METHODS
  Human tongue samples (ten adult and one pediatric) were microdissected (4.5 magnification).
  
  
  RESULTS
  In the interstitium between the genioglossus and hyoglossus muscles, the branches of the lingual nerve (LN) and the medial trunk of the hypoglossal nerve (HN) had a layered disposition of the outer and inner side, respectively, of the lingual artery with its periarterial plexus. Anastomoses of these three distinctive neural suppliers of tongue were recorded, as also were those of the LN with the lateral trunk of the HN and the anastomoses between successive terminal branches of the LN. Successive ansae linguales were joining the LN branches and the medial trunk of the HN.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The intrinsic neural system of the tongue supports integrative functions and allows a better retrospective understanding of various experimental studies. The topographical pattern is useful for an accurate diagnosis of intralingual nerves on microscopic slides.
authors.affiliation: Discipline of Anatomy, Gr.T.Popa University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Iasi, Romania.
authors.forename: Dumitru
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Păduraru
authors.forename: Mugurel Constantin
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Rusu
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000718:Anatomy, Regional; D002102:Cadaver; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004210:Dissection; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007002:Hypoglossal Nerve / Q000033:anatomy & histology*; D008036:Lingual Nerve / Q000033:anatomy & histology*; D008297:Male; D009434:Neural Pathways / Q000033:anatomy & histology*; D009960:Oropharynx / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000294:innervation; D014059:Tongue / Q000033:anatomy & histology* / Q000294:innervation*