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Margin of tongue

The margin of the tongue refers to the lateral borders of the tongue, extending from the tip (apex) to the base (posterior tongue). It forms the junction between the dorsal (top) and ventral (underside) surfaces, contributing to the overall shape, mobility, and functional capacity of the tongue. The margins are covered by stratified squamous epithelium and contain lingual papillae, small blood vessels, and minor salivary glands. These margins are critical for taste sensation, mastication, swallowing, and speech articulation. The lateral borders also serve as a site for lymphatic drainage into the submandibular and deep cervical nodes, making their assessment important in oral pathology and oncology.

Synonyms

  • Lateral border of tongue

  • Lingual margin

  • Lateral tongue surface

Function

  • Facilitates taste sensation via fungiform and foliate papillae

  • Assists in manipulation of food during mastication and swallowing

  • Supports speech articulation by shaping oral cavity sounds

  • Serves as a pathway for lymphatic drainage from the oral cavity

MRI Appearance

T1-weighted images:

  • The margin of the tongue appears as intermediate signal intensity soft tissue

  • Surrounded by hyperintense subcutaneous fat in the oral cavity, enhancing contrast

  • Lingual muscles within the tongue margins are slightly hypointense relative to fat

  • Pathology such as edema, inflammation, or tumors appears as hypo- to isointense lesions, sometimes enhancing with contrast

T2-weighted images:

  • Margin of the tongue shows intermediate signal, while edema, inflammation, or fluid collections appear hyperintense, delineating pathology

  • Adjacent fat is hyperintense, providing natural contrast

STIR (Short Tau Inversion Recovery):

  • Suppresses fat signal to highlight edema, inflammatory changes, or tumors

  • Normal tongue margins remain low-to-intermediate signal, while pathological changes appear bright hyperintense

CT Appearance

  • The margin of the tongue appears as soft tissue density relative to surrounding air and bone

  • Surrounded by air within the oral cavity, which appears hypodense (black), providing sharp contrast

  • CT is useful for assessing tongue mass lesions, abscesses, or trauma

  • Bony landmarks such as the mandible are clearly visible, aiding in orientation

MRI images

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