title: Gross anatomical classification of the courses of the human lingual artery.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  There are many reports on the variation of origin site of the lingual artery branching from the external carotid artery. However, there are few reports systematically investigating the course of the lingual artery in detail from branching site to the body of tongue. The purpose of this study is to classify systematically the courses of the lingual artery including variations.
  
  
  METHODS
  Using 111 body sides of 63 Japanese cadavers for dissection practices, the lingual artery and the surrounding structures were investigated gross anatomically.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The courses of the lingual artery were classified into five types based on the positional relationships with the hyoglossus and the mylohyoid as follows; type M: coursing medial to the hyoglossus (normal course, 104 sides), type L: coursing lateral to the hyoglossus (2 sides), type T: transferring its course from lateral to medial to the hyoglossus (2 sides), type P: penetrating the mylohyoid (2 sides), and type C: the coinciding of types M and P (1 side). Types L, T, P, and C were considered to be variant lingual arteries. Types M and T, type L, and type P arose from the external carotid, facial, and submental arteries, respectively. In types L and P, adding to the variant lingual artery, the remnant of the normal lingual artery was also observed.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The present study provides detailed information on the courses of lingual artery which will be of clinical importance especially in the super-selective arterial angiography.
authors.affiliation: Department of Anatomy, School of Life Dentistry at Tokyo, The Nippon Dental University, 1-9-20 Fujimi, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo, 102-8159, Japan. sekishin@tky.ndu.ac.jp.
authors.forename: Shinichiro
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Seki
authors.affiliation: Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Anatomy, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Tokushima University Graduate School, 3-18-15 Kuramoto, Tokushima, 770-8504, Japan.
authors.forename: Kaori
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Sumida
authors.affiliation: Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Anatomy, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Tokushima University Graduate School, 3-18-15 Kuramoto, Tokushima, 770-8504, Japan.
authors.forename: Kikuji
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Yamashita
authors.affiliation: Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Anatomy, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Tokushima University Graduate School, 3-18-15 Kuramoto, Tokushima, 770-8504, Japan.
authors.forename: Otto
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Baba
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Health Sciences, Morinomiya University of Medical Sciences, 1-26-16 Nankokita, Suminoe-ku, Osaka-shi, Osaka, 559-8611, Japan.
authors.forename: Seiichiro
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kitamura
mesh_terms: D063405:Anatomic Variation; D001158:Arteries / Q000033:anatomy & histology*; D002102:Cadaver; D002342:Carotid Artery, External / Q000033:anatomy & histology*; D004210:Dissection; D006801:Humans; D014059:Tongue / Q000098:blood supply*
keywords: Deep lingual artery; Gross anatomy; Human; Lingual artery