Root of tongue
Updates to Article Attributes
Body
was changed:
The root of tongue is the non-mobiledeeper anatomical part of the tongue contained in the oral cavity.
The term root of tongue should not be confused with base of tongue, which is part of the oropharynx and is the posterior third of the tongue, posterior to the circumvallate papillae.
Terminology
Terminology pertaining to the tongue can be confusing with terms such as mobile tongue, base of tongue,root, root of tongue, and floor of mouth being used in different ways 1,2. Here is a glossary of terms, along with which space it belongs to.
- mobile tongue
- anterior two-thirds, anterior to the circumvallate papillae
- part of oral cavity
- base of tongue
- posterior one-third, posterior to the circumvallate papillae
- part of oropharynx
- root of tongue
- region deep to the mobile tongue and anterior to the base of the tongue
- part of oral cavity
- floor of mouth
- U- shaped mylohyoid muscle under the geniohyoid muscles
- part of oral cavity
Gross Anatomy
Contents
The root of tongue includes the lingual septum and bilateral genioglossus and geniohyoid muscles (genioglossus-geniohyoid complex) 1,2.
Boundaries
- anterior border: mandible
- lateral borders: sublingual space
- inferior border: U- shaped mylohyoid muscle under the geniohyoid muscles, the floor of mouth
- posterior border: base of tongue
Related pathology
Of note, squamous cell carcinoma does not originate from the root of tongue itself, but rather invades it from adjacent mucosal surfaces of the oral cavity or anterior oropharynx. This is important in staging for oral cavity or oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma 3.
These are a few entities that arise from the root of tongue 1.
-
congenital
- lingual thyroid
- thyroglossal duct cyst
- dermoid cyst
- epidermoid cyst
- lipoma
- foregut duplication cyst
- hemangioma
-
infectious
- abscess
-
neoplastic
-
benign
- rhabdomyoma
- schwannoma
- neurofibroma
- leiomyoma
- plexiform neurofibroma
-
malignant
- rhabdomyosarcoma
- alveolar soft part sarcoma
-
benign
-<p>The <strong>root of tongue</strong> is the non-mobile anatomical part of the tongue contained in the oral cavity. </p><p>The term root of tongue should not be confused with base of tongue, which is part of the oropharynx and is the posterior third of the tongue, posterior to the circumvallate papillae. </p><h4>Terminology</h4><p>Terminology pertaining to the tongue can be confusing with terms such as mobile tongue, base of tongue,root of tongue, and floor of mouth being used in different ways <sup>1,2</sup>. Here is a glossary of terms, along which space it belongs.</p><ul>- +<p>The <strong>root of tongue</strong> is the deeper anatomical part of the tongue contained in the <a title="Oral cavity" href="/articles/oral-cavity-1">oral cavity</a>. </p><p>The term root of <a title="Tongue" href="/articles/tongue">tongue</a> should not be confused with base of tongue, which is part of the <a href="/articles/oropharynx">oropharynx</a> and is the posterior third of the tongue, posterior to the circumvallate papillae. </p><h4>Terminology</h4><p>Terminology pertaining to the <a title="Tongue" href="/articles/tongue">tongue</a> can be confusing with terms such as mobile tongue, base of tongue, root of tongue, and floor of mouth being used in different ways <sup>1,2</sup>. Here is a glossary of terms, along with which space it belongs to.</p><ul>
-<li>part of oral cavity</li>- +<li>part of <a title="Oral cavity" href="/articles/oral-cavity-1">oral cavity</a>
- +</li>
-<li>part of oropharynx</li>- +<li>part of <a title="Oropharynx" href="/articles/oropharynx">oropharynx</a>
- +</li>
-<li>part of oral cavity</li>- +<li>part of <a href="/articles/oral-cavity-1">oral cavity</a>
- +</li>
-<li>part of oral cavity</li>- +<li>part of <a href="/articles/oral-cavity-1">oral cavity</a>
- +</li>
-</ul><h4>Anatomy</h4><p>The root of tongue includes the lingual septum and bilateral genioglossus and geniohyoid muscles (genioglossus-geniohyoid complex) <sup>1,2</sup>.</p><ul>- +</ul><h4>Gross Anatomy</h4><h5>Contents</h5><p>The root of tongue includes the lingual septum and bilateral genioglossus and geniohyoid muscles (genioglossus-geniohyoid complex) <sup>1,2</sup>.</p><h5>Boundaries</h5><ul>
-<li>inferior border: U- shaped mylohyoid muscle under the geniohyoid muscles, the floor of mouth</li>- +<li>inferior border: U- shaped mylohyoid muscle under the geniohyoid muscles, the <a title="Floor of mouth" href="/articles/floor-of-mouth">floor of mouth</a>
- +</li>
-</ul><p> </p><p> </p>- +</ul><h4>Related pathology</h4><p>Of note, <a title="Squamous cell carcinoma (head and neck)" href="/articles/head-and-neck-squamous-cell-carcinoma-overview">squamous cell carcinoma</a> does not originate from the root of tongue itself, but rather invades it from adjacent mucosal surfaces of the <a title="Squamous cell carcinoma (oral cavity)" href="/articles/squamous-cell-carcinoma-oral-cavity">oral cavity</a> or anterior <a title="Oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma" href="/articles/oropharyngeal-squamous-cell-carcinoma">oropharynx</a>. This is important in staging for oral cavity or oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma <sup>3</sup>.</p><p>These are a few entities that arise from the root of tongue <sup>1</sup>.</p><ul>
- +<li>congenital<ul>
- +<li>lingual thyroid</li>
- +<li>thyroglossal duct cyst</li>
- +<li>dermoid cyst</li>
- +<li>epidermoid cyst</li>
- +<li>lipoma</li>
- +<li>foregut duplication cyst</li>
- +<li>hemangioma</li>
- +</ul>
- +</li>
- +<li>infectious<ul><li>abscess</li></ul>
- +</li>
- +<li>neoplastic<ul>
- +<li>benign<ul>
- +<li>rhabdomyoma</li>
- +<li>schwannoma</li>
- +<li>neurofibroma</li>
- +<li>leiomyoma</li>
- +<li>plexiform neurofibroma</li>
- +</ul>
- +</li>
- +<li>malignant<ul>
- +<li>rhabdomyosarcoma</li>
- +<li>alveolar soft part sarcoma</li>
- +</ul>
- +</li>
- +</ul>
- +</li>
- +</ul><p> </p>
References changed:
- 3. Sigal R, Zagdanski AM, Schwaab G, Bosq J, Auperin A, Laplanche A, Francke JP, Eschwège F, Luboinski B, Vanel D. CT and MR imaging of squamous cell carcinoma of the tongue and floor of the mouth. (1996) Radiographics : a review publication of the Radiological Society of North America, Inc. 16 (4): 787-810. <a href="https://doi.org/10.1148/radiographics.16.4.8835972">doi:10.1148/radiographics.16.4.8835972</a> - <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/8835972">Pubmed</a> <span class="ref_v4"></span>
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