OBJECTIVE: The origin of the lingual artery (LA) has been well studied due to its implication in neck dissection, but the course thereafter to the oral cavity is less described. This cadaveric study traced the journey of the LA from the external carotid artery to its terminal branches in the tongue.

METHODS: Following bilateral neck dissections in 35 black Kenyan cadavers, the incidence of Beclard's, Lesser's and Pirogoff's triangles, the types of LA origin with its length, relationship to the hyoglossus muscle and anastomosis with other vessels were documented.

RESULTS: Beclard's triangle was found in 64 dissections (91.42%), Lesser's in 46 dissections (65.71%) and Pirogoff's in 39 dissections (55.71%). The LA presented either as a solitary branch (67.15%) or as a branch of either the linguofacial (LFT-24.29%), thyrolingual (TLT-2.72%) or thyrolinguofacial (TLFT-2.86%) trunk. The solitary LA was the longest at 6.93 mm, followed by the TLT branch (6.58 mm), LFT branch (6.12 mm) and TLFT branch (5.65 mm). The majority of solitary LA and LA branches of LFT and TLFT passed through the hyoglossus, while all LA branches of the TLT coursed medial to the muscle. All variants of LA have been found to anastomose with the submental artery (SMA) at frequencies that ranged from 11.10% to 100%.