Dissection of left submaxillary (submandibular) gland and related structures

Relation of submaxillary gland to structures in carotid triangle, inferolateral view

Stanford holds the copyright to the David L. Bassett anatomical images and has assigned Creative Commons license Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 International to all of the images.
For additional information regarding use and permissions, please contact the Medical History Center.

Image #68-2

Dissection of left submaxillary (submandibular) gland and related structures

Relation of submaxillary gland to structures in carotid triangle, inferolateral view

The fascia has been partially removed from the structures inferior to the submaxillary gland and medial to the internal jugular vein. The fascia over the infrahyoid muscles has been cut away.

1. Upper pointer: Body of mandible Lower pointer: Submandibular gland
2. Anterior belly digastric muscle
3. Dense fibrous tissue covering body hyoid bone
4. Thyrohyoid brach of hypoglossal nerve (constituent fibers derived from cervical nerves I - II)
5. Superior thyroid artery
6. Thyrohyoid muscle
7. Omohyoid muscle (superior belly)
8. Sternohyoid muscle
9. Superior deep cervical lymph nodes
10. Nerve to omohyoid muscle
11. External jugular vein (cut off)
12. External maxillary artery and submandibular lymph node
13. Deep cervical lymph node
14. Cervical nerve III
15. Descending branch hypoglossal nerve (fibers derived from cervical nerves I - II)
16. Position of common carotid artery (covered by carotid sheath)
17. Prevertebral fascia
18. Internal jugular vein (carotid sheath partially removed)
19. Descending cervical nerve (fibers from cervical nerve II-III which join descending branch hypoglossal nerve to form ansa hypoglossi)
20. Descending branch hypoglossal nerve
21. Anterior supraclavicular nerves (cut off)
22. Sternocleidomastoid branch of superior thyroid artery
23. Ansa hypoglossi