Anatomy Arteries The Anatomy of the Lingual Artery Supplies the tongue and parts of the mouth By Steph Coelho Steph Coelho Twitter Steph Coelho is a freelance health writer, web producer, and editor based in Montreal. She specializes in covering general wellness and chronic illness. Learn about our editorial process Updated on March 25, 2021 Medically reviewed Verywell Health articles are reviewed by board-certified physicians and healthcare professionals. These medical reviewers confirm the content is thorough and accurate, reflecting the latest evidence-based research. Content is reviewed before publication and upon substantial updates. Learn more. by William Truswell, MD Medically reviewed by William Truswell, MD Facebook LinkedIn William Truswell, MD, is a board-certified facial plastic surgeon and otolaryngology (head and neck) surgeon. He is president of the American Board of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery and treats skin cancer patients as part of his practice. Learn about our Medical Expert Board Print Table of Contents View All Table of Contents Anatomy Function Clinical Significance The lingual artery supplies blood to the tongue and oral cavity. This portion of the external carotid artery branches out to supply blood to surrounding tissues. alvarez / E+ / Getty Images Anatomy Here's an overview of the lingual artery's anatomy, including its structure, location, and anatomical variations. Structure Collagen fibers make up the outer layer of arteries. Elastic fiber and smooth muscle make up the middle layers. The endothelium is the inner layer of the artery. Arteries have thick walls that allow them to sustain high pressures. Moving away from the external carotid artery, the lingual artery becomes smaller and eventually breaks into multiple branches. Arterial branches of the lingual artery include the: Suprahyoid arteryDorsal lingual arterySublingual arteryDeep lingual artery The deep lingual artery passes under the tongue. The sublingual artery follows a path through the salivary glands and supplies blood to the gums and portions of the mouth. The dorsal lingual artery has several small branches that travel to the back portion of the tongue, supplying parts of the mouth such as the tonsils, epiglottis, and soft palate. Finally, the suprahyoid artery runs along the length of the hyoid bone and supplies blood to the nearby muscle. The lingual artery has a diameter of around 2 to 5 millimeters. It gets bigger the closer it gets to the external carotid artery. The artery follows the path of the tongue. The tongue incorporates the longest portion of the lingual artery. Location The lingual artery is connected to the external carotid artery and follows a path towards the hyoid bone and back down towards the tongue. Basically, it starts from the carotid, which is located in the neck, and eventually ends up at the tip of the tongue. Anatomical Variations Many anatomical variations are possible. Pathways for the artery may also differ. One cadaver study from 2017 separates the positional variations for the lingual artery into five types. Anatomical variations, for example, may include absent branches. Function The lingual artery’s primary function is to supply blood to the tongue and parts of the mouth, including the tonsils. A healthy blood supply via the lingual artery is necessary for its functions, such as eating, drinking, and speaking. That said, it is possible to live without your tongue. Clinical Significance Because of its placement, there is a risk of lingual artery bleeding during particular head and neck surgeries. It’s important for surgeons to understand the artery's placement, including possible anatomic variations, to prevent injury and complications. The lingual artery may be injured during intubation for surgery or medical procedures that require being placed on a ventilator. Facial trauma can also cause arterial injury. According to the International Congress of Oral Implantologists, injury to the lingual artery can occur during dental implant surgeries, which are very common. Thankfully, injury to the artery only happens in rare cases. Injuring the lingual artery can result in fatal blood loss or tongue necrosis. If the artery becomes inflamed by an injury, it may cause pain and swelling. Chemotherapy may impact the lingual artery and tongue, according to one case study. Pseudoaneurysms of this artery can also happen. Special care must be taken to avoid injuring the lingual artery when removing certain tumors involving the tongue. Cancer of the tongue is uncommon, but it does happen. In some cases, removal of the tongue is necessary to ensure a person's survival. Surgery to remove the tongue is called a glossectomy. People who get this type of surgery can learn to eat and talk without their tongue, but the process is challenging. Certain types of vasculitis, such as giant cell arteritis (GCA), may impact the lingual artery. One case study suggests that involvement of the lingual artery with GCA is uncommon but possible. In cases of arterial stenosis of the carotid artery, tissue death can occur in the tongue because the blood supply to the lingual artery gets cut off. The lingual artery may be used as a recipient artery in reconstructive surgeries of the head and neck. Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Sign up for our Health Tip of the Day newsletter, and receive daily tips that will help you live your healthiest life. Sign Up You're in! Thank you, {{form.email}}, for signing up. There was an error. Please try again. What are your concerns? Other Inaccurate Hard to Understand Submit 10 Sources Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read our editorial process to learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy. StatPearls. Anatomy, head and neck, lingual artery. Mun MJ, Lee CH, Lee BJ, et al. Histopathologic evaluations of the lingual artery in healthy tongue of adult cadaver. Clin Exp Otorhinolaryngol. 9(3):257-262. doi:10.21053/ceo.2015.01137 Radiopaedia. Lingual artery. Seki S, Sumida K, Yamashita K, Baba O, Kitamura S. Gross anatomical classification of the courses of the human lingual artery. Surg Radiol Anat. 39(2):195-203. doi:10.1007/s00276-016-1696-8 Illustrated Encyclopedia of Human Anatomic Variation. Lingual artery. International Congress of Oral Implantologists. Lingual artery. UCSF Health. Life after tongue cancer and total glossectomy. Benedetti, A, et al. Giant cell arteritis presenting with lingual artery infarction. Neurology. 94(15): 2711. Bjordahl, P M, et al. Tongue necrosis as an unusual presentation of carotid artery stenosis. Journal of Vascular Surgery. 2011;54(3):837-839. doi:10.1016/j.jvs.2011.01.057 Nasir S, et al. Lingual artery: Lifesaver recipient artery for free flap surgery. J Reconstr Microsurg. 28(9):633-634. doi:10.1055/s-0032-1315782 Additional Reading Seki, S, et al. Gross anatomical classification of the courses of the human lingual artery. Surg Radiol Anat. 39: 195-203. doi: 10.1007/s00276-016-1696-8