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Palatoglossus muscle

The palatoglossus muscle is a slender, paired muscle of the soft palate that forms an important part of the oropharyngeal isthmus. It contributes to the palatoglossal arch (anterior pillar of the fauces) and plays a crucial role in the movement of the soft palate and tongue during swallowing and speech. It is unique among the muscles of the tongue as it is innervated by the pharyngeal plexus via the vagus nerve, rather than the hypoglossal nerve. Imaging modalities such as MRI and CT can visualize the palatoglossus muscle, which aids in the assessment of oropharyngeal and palatal pathology.

Synonyms

  • Glossopalatinus muscle

  • Anterior pillar of the fauces (when referring to its arch)

  • Palatoglossal muscle

Function

  • Elevates the posterior part of the tongue

  • Narrows the oropharyngeal isthmus

  • Depresses the soft palate towards the tongue

  • Important for swallowing and articulation of speech

Origin

  • Inferior surface of the palatine aponeurosis (soft palate)

Insertion

  • Lateral side of the tongue (blending with intrinsic muscles of the tongue)

Nerve Supply

  • Pharyngeal plexus (primarily via the vagus nerve, cranial nerve X)

  • Note: Unlike other tongue muscles, it is NOT supplied by the hypoglossal nerve.

Artery Supply

  • Ascending palatine artery (branch of facial artery)

  • Lesser palatine artery (branch of maxillary artery)

Vein Supply

  • Veins follow the arteries and drain into the pterygoid plexus and pharyngeal venous plexus

MRI Appearance

  • T1-weighted MRI: Palatoglossus muscle appears as a mildly hypointense (darker) band relative to the surrounding fat, similar in intensity to other skeletal muscles

  • T2-weighted MRI: Normal muscle demonstrates relatively low signal intensity, but increased signal may indicate edema or pathology.

  • STIR MRI: Muscle shows low signal intensity in healthy tissue; hyperintensity is seen if there is edema, inflammation, or acute injury.

CT Appearance

  • Appears as a soft tissue density band forming the palatoglossal arch, not easily separated from the adjacent muscles unless there is abnormality or enhancement

MRI images

palatoglossus muscle mri axial image 1 -img-00000-00000