A Rare Case of an Artery Passing through the Median Perforating Canal of the Mandible

Figure 1

Axial (a) and sagittal (b) images of the mandible show two foramina located on the anterior (red arrow) and posterior (blue arrow) surfaces of the midline. A canal (white arrowheads), which has the continuity of those two foramina, was demonstrated. Three-dimensional computed tomography images of the mandible show anterior (c) and posterior (d) views of the mandible. After removing the overlying soft tissue, the mandible is seen in anterior (e) and posterior (f) views. The medial view of the dissected soft tissue after periosteal detachment shows the right ILA running horizontally and joining the vertical branch, which passes by the inferior border of the mandible (g). The median perforating artery (MPA) has no anastomosis with other branches. Red arrow, median labial foramen (MLaF); blue arrow, median lingual foramen (MLiF); rILA, right inferior labial artery.

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