Topics

Topic

design image
Body of tongue

The body of the tongue constitutes the anterior two-thirds of the tongue, extending from the foramen cecum and circumvallate papillae posteriorly to the tip of the tongue anteriorly. It lies entirely within the oral cavity and is separated from the pharyngeal portion (base) by the terminal sulcus. Structurally, it is composed of intrinsic muscles, which alter its shape, and extrinsic muscles, which control its position. The mucosa covering the dorsal surface contains filiform, fungiform, and circumvallate papillae, contributing to tactile sensation and taste. The body of the tongue is vascular, highly mobile, and richly innervated, allowing complex movements essential for speech, mastication, and swallowing.

Synonyms

  • Oral tongue

  • Anterior tongue

  • Tongue body

Function

  • Facilitates mastication by positioning food between teeth

  • Aids in speech articulation and phonation

  • Participates in swallowing by propelling food posteriorly

  • Contains taste buds on dorsal surface for gustatory sensation

  • Maintains oral cavity shape and assists in airway protection

Nerve Supply

  • Motor: Hypoglossal nerve (CN XII) – controls all intrinsic muscles and most extrinsic muscles (genioglossus, hyoglossus, styloglossus)

  • Sensory (general sensation): Lingual nerve (branch of mandibular nerve, CN V3) – anterior two-thirds

  • Special sensory (taste): Chorda tympani (branch of CN VII) via the lingual nerve – anterior two-thirds

Arterial Supply

  • Lingual artery (branch of external carotid artery) – main supply

    • Dorsal lingual branches – dorsal surface of tongue

    • Deep lingual artery – ventral and anterior tongue

    • Sublingual artery – floor of mouth and anterior tongue

Venous Drainage

  • Lingual veins – paired, draining into internal jugular vein

  • Includes dorsal lingual veins, deep lingual veins, and sublingual veins

MRI Appearance

T1-weighted images:

  • Tongue musculature appears as intermediate signal intensity soft tissue

  • Surrounded by hyperintense subcutaneous fat in the oral floor and buccal regions

  • Air in oral cavity appears as a signal void (black), sharply outlining the tongue

  • Tumors or lesions appear hypo- to isointense relative to normal muscle tissue, enhancing with contrast

T2-weighted images:

  • Muscles are intermediate signal, edema or fluid collections appear hyperintense

  • Air remains a signal void, providing natural contrast

STIR (Short Tau Inversion Recovery):

  • Fat suppression enhances detection of edema, inflammation, or tumor

  • Normal tongue tissue is intermediate to low signal, pathology appears bright hyperintense

  • Air remains a signal void, clearly delineating the tongue

CT Appearance

  • Tongue appears as a soft tissue density structure within the oral cavity

  • Air in the oral cavity is hypodense (black), sharply outlining the tongue

  • Intrinsic and extrinsic muscles show slightly heterogeneous soft tissue density

  • Adjacent bones (mandible, hyoid, maxilla) serve as landmarks

  • Useful for tumor assessment, trauma, infections, and foreign bodies

MRI images

Body of tongue mri axial image -img-00000-00000

MRI images

Body of tongue mri sagittal image -img-00000-00000