Angio-morphological basis for "lingual channel" inspection in traditional Chinese medicine

To explore the diagnostic mechanism of the lingual channel inspection in tr aditional Chinese medicine (TCM), the lingual artery and its branches, vein s and venous valves were systematically studied by anatomical and histologi cal methods. It is supposed that the "lingual channel" in TCM is the intege r Of the accompanying veins of hypoglossal nerve and the lingual nerve, as well as their branches. It is found that the cystic change of veins appears to lie cystic dilation of venous wall at the sites of venous valves. Fine collateral channel running along the lateral part sf tongue is the accompan ying vein of n. linguae, the branches at the body of the tongue and v. root linguae and the branches at lateral part of the lingual root. The payoff w hich makes the tongue body vivid and pink can be attributed to abundant blo od supply, because there are not only about 50 lingual arteries, but also v arious anastomoses with submental arteries.