The Pirogov triangle (also Piragoff's triangle) is an area in the human neck formed by the intermediate tendon of the
digastric muscle
The digastric muscle (also digastricus) (named ''digastric'' as it has two 'bellies') is a small muscle located under the jaw. The term "digastric muscle" refers to this specific muscle. However, other muscles that have two separate muscle belli ...
, the posterior border of the
mylohyoid muscle
The mylohyoid muscle or diaphragma oris is a paired muscle of the neck. It runs from the mandible to the hyoid bone, forming the floor of the oral cavity of the mouth. It is named after its two attachments near the molar teeth. It forms the floor ...
, and the
hypoglossal nerve
The hypoglossal nerve, also known as the twelfth cranial nerve, cranial nerve XII, or simply CN XII, is a cranial nerve that innervates all the extrinsic and intrinsic muscles of the tongue except for the palatoglossus, which is innervated by ...
. The triangle was named after Russian surgeon and scientist
Nikolay Pirogov
Nikolay Ivanovich Pirogov (Russian: Никола́й Ива́нович Пирого́в; — ) was a Russian scientist, medical doctor, pedagogue, public figure, and corresponding member of the Russian Academy of Sciences (1847), one of the ...
who performed a first description of that anatomic area of the neck.
The
lingual artery
The lingual artery arises from the external carotid artery between the superior thyroid artery and facial artery. It can be located easily in the tongue.
Structure
The lingual artery first branches off from the external carotid artery. It runs ob ...
can be found in the Pirogov triangle underneath the fibers of the
hyoglossus
The hyoglossus, thin and quadrilateral, arises from the side of the body and from the whole length of the greater cornu of the hyoid bone, and passes almost vertically upward to enter the side of the tongue, between the styloglossus and the in ...
muscle.
References
Human head and neck
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