Anatomy & Histology · single question
A lesion on the POSTERIOR dorsum of the tongue that bleeds during biopsy — what is the source of bleeding?
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Correct answer: A. Dorsal lingual artery
- A. The DORSAL LINGUAL ARTERY (branch of the lingual artery) supplies the DORSAL SURFACE of the tongue. A biopsy of the posterior dorsum of the tongue would most likely encounter the DORSAL LINGUAL artery, causing the observed bleeding. The lingual artery's branches: (1) sublingual artery — floor of mouth/ventral tongue, (2) deep lingual artery — ventral tip, (3) dorsal lingual arteries — posterior dorsum.
- B. The sublingual artery supplies the FLOOR OF MOUTH and ventral surface — not the dorsal posterior tongue.
- C. The deep lingual artery supplies the TIP and VENTRAL surface of the tongue — not the posterior dorsum.
- D. The main lingual artery trunk runs in the floor of the mouth — by the time blood reaches the posterior dorsum, it has branched into the dorsal lingual arteries.
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