The formation of common trunks by the lingual artery and other branches arising from the external carotid artery was examined. The X-ray films of 238 sides of the head and neck (115 right and 123 left sides) in which the lingual arteries could be clearly identified by contrast radiography were chosen from 261 Japanese cadavers which had been used for anatomical training from 1980 to 1991. The formation of linguofacial trunk was found in 31.9±5.9% (right side 31.3±8.5% and left side 32.5±8.4%), that of thyreolingual trunk in 3.8±2.4% (right side 1.7±1.4% and left side 5.7±4.1%) and thyreolinguofacial trunk in 0.4±0.8% (right side 0.9±1.7% and left side 0%). There were no differences between the right and left sides or between sexes in the appearance ratios of these common trunks. In three cases, a long common trunk was formed by the lingual artery and facial artery from the external carotid artery. In one case in these three common trunks on which detailed anatomical dissection was performed, the linguofacial trunk was branched into the lingual artery and facial artery at the anterior region of the submandibular gland and the lingual artery entered into the tongue through the mylohyoid muscle. The origins of the lingual artery and facial artery at the external carotid artery were displaced in two cases. A connecting branch was formed between the facial artery and thyreolingual trunk in one case.
