Harnessing the Forgotten Triangles of the Neck for Lingual Artery Ligation in Glossectomies: A Technical Report

Cureus. 2023 Aug 21;15(8):e43836. doi: 10.7759/cureus.43836. eCollection 2023 Aug.

Abstract

Various geometric structures, such as numerous triangles, are prevalent in the neck. Despite the fact that many of the neck's anatomical triangles have been well documented, others have been almost forgotten about. The repertoire of head and neck cancer surgeons should include an in-depth understanding of these forgotten triangles. This article seeks to contribute valuable information to the existing scientific literature by shedding light on these neglected triangles, which have significant surgical relevance. In this technical report, we provide a detailed description of a technique that employs these neglected triangles to ligate the lingual artery during glossectomies for tongue cancer.

Keywords: forgotten triangles of neck; glossectomy; head and neck oncology; lesser's triangle; lingual artery; neck triangles; pirogoffs's triangle; tongue cancer.