Buccal space
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View Craig Hacking's current disclosuresAt the time the article was last revised Tariq Walizai had no financial relationships to ineligible companies to disclose.
View Tariq Walizai's current disclosures- Buccinator space
The buccal space, also known as the buccinator space, is one of the seven suprahyoid deep compartments of the head and neck.
Gross anatomy
The buccal spaces are paired fat-containing spaces on each side of the face forming the cheeks. Each space is enveloped by the superficial (investing) layer of the deep cervical fascia.
It is located between the buccinator and platysma muscles, therefore it is only a small potential space with limited contents.
Contents
fat: cheek padding
accessory parotid gland in 20% of people which can cause facial asymmetry; readily seen on MRI
facial and buccal arteries and corresponding veins
facial nerve (CN VII): buccal branch
trigeminal nerve (CN V): buccal nerve of the mandibular division
Boundaries and relations
anterior: orbicularis oris muscle and the angle of the mouth
posterior: masseter muscle, mandible, medial pterygoid and lateral pterygoid muscles
superior: zygomatic process of the maxilla and zygomaticus muscles
inferior: depressor anguli oris muscle and the deep fascia attaching to the mandible
medial (deep): buccinator muscle
lateral (superficial): platysma muscle and subcutaneous tissues with the skin
Communications
Buccal space infection can spread to/from the teeth. There is no real boundary between the buccal space and the submandibular space inferiorly. There is also potential communication with the pterygomandibular region, infratemporal space, and the parapharyngeal space posteriorly.
Related pathology
tumors: minor salivary gland tumors, vascular lesions (e.g. hemangiomas)
References
- 1. Harnsberger HR, Glastonbury CM, Michel MA et-al. Diagnostic Imaging: Head and Neck. Lippincott Williams & Wilkins. (2010) ISBN:1931884781. Read it at Google Books - Find it at Amazon
- 2. Last's anatomy, regional and applied. Churchill Livingstone. ISBN:044304662X. Read it at Google Books - Find it at Amazon
- 3. Moore KL, Agur AMR, Dalley AF. Clinically oriented anatomy. LWW. ISBN:1451119453. Read it at Google Books - Find it at Amazon
- 4. Tart RP, Kotzur IM, Mancuso AA et-al. CT and MR imaging of the buccal space and buccal space masses. Radiographics. 1995;15 (3): 531-50. doi:10.1148/radiographics.15.3.7624561 - Pubmed citation
Incoming Links
- Buccal mucosal squamous cell carcinoma
- Adenoid cystic carcinoma of maxillary sinus
- Chondrosarcoma of the maxilla
- Buccal squamous cell carcinoma
- Sinonasal lymphoma
- Haemangioma - buccal space
- Buccal fat pad arteriovenous malformation
- Maxillary sinus squamous cell carcinoma
- Buccal space (annotated MRI)
- Buccal squamous cell carcinoma
- Buccal squamous cell carcinoma
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