Lingual vein

General Information
Latin	vena lingualis
Greek
TA98
TA2
FMA
Details
System
Artery	Lingual artery
Vein
Nerve
Lymphatic drainage
Precursor
Function
Identifiers
Clinical significance
Notes

The lingual vein is a vein that drains the tongue and the floor of the mouth. It is an important component of the venous drainage system of the tongue.

Anatomy

The lingual vein is typically formed by the union of several smaller veins that collect blood from the tongue. These smaller veins include the dorsal lingual veins, which drain the dorsum of the tongue, and the deep lingual vein, which drains the deeper structures of the tongue.

The lingual vein runs alongside the lingual artery and is accompanied by the lingual nerve, a branch of the mandibular nerve (CN V3). It eventually drains into the internal jugular vein, which is a major vein of the neck that returns blood to the heart.

Clinical significance

The lingual vein is clinically significant because it can be a site for venipuncture or intravenous therapy in certain medical procedures. Additionally, the veins of the tongue, including the lingual vein, can be involved in various pathological conditions such as varicosities or venous malformations.

See also

• Lingual artery
• Internal jugular vein
• Venous system
• Tongue

References

• Template:Gray's Anatomy