Lingual veins Lingual veins The lingual veins begin on the dorsum, sides, and under surface of the tongue, and, passing backward along the course of the lingual artery, end in the internal jugular vein. The vena comitans of the hypoglossal nerve (ranine vein), a branch of considerable size, begins below the tip of the tongue, and may join the lingual; generally, however, it passes backward on the hyoglossus, and joins the common facial. The lingual veins are important clinically as they are capable of rapid absorption of drugs; for this reason, nitroglycerin is given under the tongue to patients suspected of having
Head and neck cancer to prevent the development of leukoplakia, the white plaques that are the precursor for carcinomas of the mucosal surfaces, in adult smokers. Another study examined a combination of Vitamin E and beta carotene in smokers with early-stage cancer of the oropharynx, and found a worse prognosis in the vitamin users. Betel nut chewing is associated with an increased risk of squamous cell cancer of the head and neck. Some head and neck cancers are caused by Human papillomavirus (HPV). In particular HPV16, is a causal factor for some head and neck squamous-cell carcinoma (HNSCC). Approximately 15 to 25% of HNSCC