The lingual veins are veins of the tongue with two distinct courses: one group drains into the
lingual vein, while another group drains either into the
lingual artery,
(common) facial vein, or
internal jugular vein
The internal jugular vein is a paired jugular vein that collects blood from the brain and the superficial parts of the face and neck. This vein runs in the carotid sheath with the common carotid artery and vagus nerve.
It begins in the posteri ...
.
Clinical significance
The lingual veins are clinically significant due to their ability to rapidly absorb drugs. For this reason,
nitroglycerin
Nitroglycerin (NG) (alternative spelling nitroglycerine), also known as trinitroglycerol (TNG), nitro, glyceryl trinitrate (GTN), or 1,2,3-trinitroxypropane, is a dense, colorless or pale yellow, oily, explosive liquid most commonly produced by ...
is administered sublingually to patients experiencing
angina pectoris
Angina, also known as angina pectoris, is chest pain or pressure, usually caused by insufficient blood flow to the heart muscle (myocardium). It is most commonly a symptom of coronary artery disease.
Angina is typically the result of part ...
.
See also
*
Deep lingual vein
*
Dorsal lingual veins
External links
Photo of model (frog)
References
* Moore NA and Roy W. Rapid Review: Gross Anatomy. Elsevier, 2010.
Veins of the head and neck
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