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A cadaveric study on mylohyoid herniation of the sublingual gland

  • Head and Neck
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Abstract

The purpose of this study was to document the presence of a sublingual gland (SLG) herniating inferiorly through the mylohyoid muscle into the submandibular area. A total of 100 half-heads of 50 adult Korean cadavers were enrolled in this study. The floor of the mouth was dissected from the neck, and mylohyoid muscle patency and position of the sublingual gland were evaluated. Demographic factors of the donor and characteristics of the herniation were evaluated. Herniation was found in 29 (58.0 %) of the 50 cadavers or 42 of the 100 half-heads. Herniation was more frequently observed in females than in males (p = 0.009). However, no laterality was observed. Classifying the location of SLG herniation from the midpoint of the mandible to the hyoid bone into 3 regions, 32 (63 %) of herniations were found in the anterior one-third. No ranula formation was observed. The size and weight of normal glands tended to be larger than those of herniated glands, but no statistical significance was observed. An SLG hernia is a very common condition and is more frequently observed in females. As such, SLG herniation should be considered when a submental neck mass is evaluated.

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Author notes

    Authors and Affiliations

    1. Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Chonnam National University Medical School and Chonnam National University Hospital, Gwangju, South Korea

      Hyung Chae Yang

    2. Research Institute of Medical Sciences, Chonnam National University, Gwangju, South Korea

      Si Yoen Kim & Sun Kyung Kim

    3. Department of Anatomy, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Suwon, South Korea

      Chang Seok Oh

    4. Institute of Applied Anatomy, College of Medicine, Catholic University of Korea, Seoul, South Korea

      In Hyuk Chung

    5. Department of Anatomy, Chonnam National University Medical School, Gwangju, 501-746, South Korea

      Kwang Il Nam

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    1. Hyung Chae Yang
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    2. Si Yoen Kim
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    3. Sun Kyung Kim
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    5. In Hyuk Chung
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    Corresponding author

    Correspondence to Kwang Il Nam.

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    The authors disclose no conflicts of interest to disclose.

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    This article does not contain any studies with human participants or animals performed by any of the authors.

    Additional information

    H. C. Yang and S. Y. Kim contributed equally to this work.

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    Yang, H.C., Kim, S.Y., Kim, S.K. et al. A cadaveric study on mylohyoid herniation of the sublingual gland. Eur Arch Otorhinolaryngol 273, 4413–4416 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00405-016-4095-1

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    • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00405-016-4095-1

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