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Inferior longitudinal muscle of tongue

The inferior longitudinal muscle of the tongue is an intrinsic muscle located beneath the surface of the tongue, running longitudinally from the root to the tip. This slender, paired muscle plays a vital role in shaping and moving the tongue, particularly in depressing the tongue tip and shortening the tongue. The muscle lies close to the mucosal surface on the underside of the tongue and is integral for precise tongue movements required in speech and swallowing.

Synonyms

  • Inferior longitudinal lingual muscle

  • Musculus longitudinalis inferior linguae (Latin)

Function

  • Depresses the apex (tip) of the tongue

  • Shortens the tongue

  • Assists in changing the shape of the tongue during speech, mastication, and swallowing

  • Works synergistically with other intrinsic tongue muscles for fine motor control

Origin and Insertion

  • Origin: Root of the tongue, near the hyoid bone and the base of the tongue

  • Insertion: Apex (tip) of the tongue and along the lower surface of the tongue

  • Some fibers blend with the styloglossus, hyoglossus, and genioglossus muscles

Nerve Supply

  • Motor nerve: Hypoglossal nerve (Cranial Nerve XII)

  • Supplies all intrinsic muscles of the tongue

Arterial Supply

  • Lingual artery (branch of the external carotid artery)

  • Sublingual artery (branch of the lingual artery)

Venous Drainage

  • Lingual vein

  • Drains into the internal jugular vein

MRI Appearance

  • T1-weighted images: Intermediate signal intensity relative to other tongue muscles

  • T2-weighted images: lntermediate signal  intensity; homogeneous appearance in normal muscle

  • STIR (Short Tau Inversion Recovery): Muscle appears with low to intermediate signal; pathology such as edema or inflammation will increase the signal intensity

CT Appearance

  • Appears as a soft tissue structure with attenuation similar to other tongue muscles

  • Well-defined margins, especially on contrast-enhanced studies

MRI images

Inferior longitudinal muscle of tongue MRI IMAGE -img-00000-00000