title: Anatomic-histologic study of the floor of the mouth: the lingual lymph nodes.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The lingual lymph nodes are inconstant nodes located within the fascial/intermuscular spaces of the floor of the mouth. Oral tongue squamous cell carcinoma has been reported to recur and metastasize in lingual lymph nodes with poor prognosis. Lingual lymph nodes are not currently included in basic tongue squamous cell carcinoma surgery.
  
  
  METHODS
  Twenty-one cadavers (7 males, 14 females) were studied, aged from 57 to 94 years (mean age 76.3 years). The gross specimen of the floor of the mouth was divided into blocks: A (median nodes), B, B' (parahyoid), C, C' (paraglandular). Serial histological microslides were cut and stained with hematoxylin-eosin. Frequency of lingual lymph nodes in each block and their microscopic features were assessed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The lingual lymph nodes in overall number of 7 were detected in 5 of the 21 cadavers (23.8%). The total incidence of lingual lymph node was 33.3% (7 nodes/21 cadavers). Block A failed to demonstrate any lymph nodes (0%); Blocks B, B'-2 nodes (9.5%) and 2 nodes (9.5%), respectively; Blocks C, C'-1 node (4.8%) and 2 nodes (9.5%), respectively. The mean lingual lymph node length was 4.1 mm (from 1.4 to 8.7 mm), the mean thickness was 2.8 mm (from 0.8 to 7.5 mm). Five cadavers (23.8%) revealed mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue. Atrophic changes appeared in 4 (57.1%) lingual lymph nodes.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The presence of lymph node-bearing tissue in the floor of the mouth is demonstrated. In account of resection radicalism and better local control the fat tissue of the floor of the mouth should be removed in conjunction to glossectomy. Further anatomic and clinical research is required to establish the role of lingual lymph node in oral squamous cell carcinoma recurrence and metastasis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Consulting and Diagnostics, Central Research Institute of Dentistry and Maxillofacial Surgery, Moscow Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Russian Medical Academy of Postgraduate Education Studies, Moscow.
authors.forename: Sargis G
authors.initials: SG
authors.lastname: Ananian
authors.affiliation: Department of Consulting and Diagnostics, Central Research Institute of Dentistry and Maxillofacial Surgery, Moscow Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Russian Medical Academy of Postgraduate Education Studies, Moscow Department of Congenital Maxillofacial Defects and Deformations, Central Research Institute of Dentistry and Maxillofacial Surgery, Moscow shalvagvetadze@yandex.ru.
authors.forename: Shalva R
authors.initials: SR
authors.lastname: Gvetadze
authors.affiliation: Department of Head and Neck Surgery, N.N. Blokhin Russian Cancer Research Center of Russian Academy of Medical Sciences, Moscow.
authors.forename: Konstantin D
authors.initials: KD
authors.lastname: Ilkaev
authors.affiliation: Department of Human Tumor Morphology, N.N. Blokhin Russian Cancer Research Center of Russian Academy of Medical Sciences, Moscow.
authors.forename: Valeria V
authors.initials: VV
authors.lastname: Mochalnikova
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathologic Anatomy, Moscow State University of Medicine and Dentistry, Moscow.
authors.forename: Georgiy O
authors.initials: GO
authors.lastname: Zayratiants
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Immunomorphology of Inflammation, Group of Informatics and Morphometry, Research Institute of Human Morphology of Russian Academy of Medical Sciences, Moscow, Russia.
authors.forename: Vladimir A
authors.initials: VA
authors.lastname: Mkhitarov
authors.affiliation: Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Affiliated Stomatology Hospital of Tongji University, Shanghai, PR China.
authors.forename: Xin
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.affiliation: Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery and Implantology, Moscow State University of Medicine and Dentistry, Moscow, Russia.
authors.forename: Aleksandr M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Ciciashvili
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002102:Cadaver; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000556:secondary* / Q000601:surgery; D005260:Female; D005927:Glossectomy; D006801:Humans; D008198:Lymph Nodes / Q000473:pathology*; D008207:Lymphatic Metastasis; D018442:Lymphoma, B-Cell, Marginal Zone / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009060:Mouth Floor / Q000473:pathology*; D009364:Neoplasm Recurrence, Local / Q000175:diagnosis; D014062:Tongue Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery
keywords: lingual lymph node; oral tongue; squamous cell carcinoma