Accessory Heads of Anterior Belly of Digastric Muscle in Korea: A Case Report

Abstract

The digastric muscle has two bellies and it has various variation in submental region. During dissection of a 79-year-old Korean female cadaver, bilateral variations at the anterior belly (AB) of the digastric muscle in submental region were shown. Two accessory bellies originated medial to the origin of the two normal ABs of the digastric muscle. They run medially and combined each other anterior to the median raphe of the mylohyoid muscle. In left side, AB of the digastric muscle was divided into two muscular bellies. Therefore, five bellies of ABs of the digastric muscle were found. This novel variation has not been described in the literature and this appearance will guide clinicians during surgical interventions and radiological diagnosis.