Digastric triangle
The digastric triangle is one of the paired triangles in the anterior triangle of the neck. The triangles of the neck are surgically focused, first described from early dissection-based anatomical studies which predated cross-sectional anatomical description based on imaging (see deep spaces of the neck).
Boundaries
- anteroinferiorly: anterior belly of digastric
- posteroinferiorly: posterior belly of digastric
- base: mandible
- floor: mylohyoid, hyoglossus and middle pharyngeal constrictor
- roof: skin, superficial fascia, platysma and deep fascia
Contents
- anterior part of the triangle contains the submandibular gland
- posterior part of the triangle contains the lower part of the parotid gland
- facial artery is deep to the submandibular gland and the facial vein lies superficial to the gland
- submandibular lymph nodes are situated near the gland
- external carotid artery lies deep to the parotid gland before entering it. It is separated from the internal carotid artery by the styloglossus and stylopharyngeus muscles and the glossopharyngeal nerve
- deep to the external carotid artery are the internal carotid artery, internal jugular vein and the vagus nerve
- lying on the mylohyoid muscle are the submental and mylohyoid arteries and nerves
- the hypoglossal and mylohyoid nerves are also found in the digastric triangle
Vessels and lymphatics
- facial artery
- facial vein
- external carotid artery
- internal carotid artery
- internal jugular vein
- submental vessels
- mylohyoid vessels
- lymph nodes
Nerves
