Anterior triangle
Citation, DOI, disclosures and article data
At the time the article was created Arjna Kanagarajah had no recorded disclosures.
View Arjna Kanagarajah's current disclosuresAt the time the article was last revised Daniel J Bell had no financial relationships to ineligible companies to disclose.
View Daniel J Bell's current disclosures- Anterior triangle of the neck
- Anterior triangles of the neck
The anterior triangle forms the anterior compartment of the neck and is separated from the posterior triangle by the sternocleidomastoid muscle. The triangles of the neck are surgically focused, first described from early dissection-based anatomical studies which predated cross-sectional anatomical description based on imaging (see deep spaces of the neck).
Gross anatomy
The anterior triangle is an inverted triangle with its base above and the apex pointing downwards at the manubrium of the sternum. It can be further subdivided into smaller triangles by the crossing of the digastric and omohyoid muscles.
Contents
The anterior triangle is subdivided into three paired triangles and a single midline triangle:
Paired triangles:
Single midline triangle:
Boundaries
anterior: median line of the neck
posterior: anterior margin of sternocleidomastoid muscle
base: inferior border of the mandible
Related pathology
Determining the nature or origin of masses in the anterior triangle is difficult clinically. Radiological investigations are paramount in defining the origin and the extent of these masses. Head and neck tumors often metastasize to lymph nodes in the neck. A significant proportion of patients with head and neck malignancy have lymph node metastasis in the neck on presentation. Therefore understanding the anatomical position of lymph nodes in the neck help to stage the disease and aids in the planning of surgical management.
References
- 1. Paul Butler, Adam Mitchell, Jeremiah C. Healy et al. Applied Radiological Anatomy. (2012) ISBN: 9780521766661 - Google Books
- 2. Susan Standring, Henry Gray. Gray's Anatomy. (2008) ISBN: 9780808923718 - Google Books
- 3. Stephanie Ryan, Michelle McNicholas, Stephen J. Eustace. Anatomy for Diagnostic Imaging. (2011) ISBN: 9780702029714 - Google Books
- 4. Bari M. Logan, Ralph T. Hutchings. McMinn's Color Atlas of Foot and Ankle Anatomy E-Book. (2011) ISBN: 9780702051647 - Google Books
- 5. Mcminn. Last's Anatomy. (2003) ISBN: 9780729537520 - Google Books
Incoming Links
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