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

Figure 2

MPA (green line), vertical branch (blue line), and other arteries (red lines) are shown in lateral (a) and frontal (b) views. Both facial arteries branch off the inferior labial arteries (ILAs). Both ILAs anastomose with the mental arteries arising from the mental foramina. The right ILA anastomoses with the vertical branch coming from the inferior border of the mandible without perforating the mandible. The median perforating artery (MPA) comes from the posterior of the mandible and perforates the mandible. It then goes up to the inferior labial region. lFA, left facial artery; lILA, left inferior labial artery; lMF, left mental foramen; rFA, right facial artery; rILA, right inferior labial artery; rMF, right mental foramen.

(a)

(b)