submandularis

Submandularis is a Latin term meaning related to the submandibular region, and in English usage the adjective is commonly rendered as submandibular. It is used to describe structures located beneath the mandible (lower jaw) and the adjacent neck region, including the submandibular gland and surrounding tissues.

The submandibular region forms a triangular area of the neck bounded anteriorly by the lower border of the mandible, medially by the digastric muscle, and laterally by the body of the mandible and the posterior belly of the digastric. The floor is formed by the mylohyoid muscle. Key contents include the submandibular gland, its duct (the duct of Wharton), submandibular lymph nodes, and portions of the facial artery and vein. The submandibular duct runs medially along the floor of the mouth and opens at the sublingual caruncle on the tongue.

The submandibular gland is a major salivary gland with superficial and deep lobes; the deep lobe wraps around the posterior edge of the mylohyoid muscle. Parasympathetic innervation to the gland arises from the chorda tympani via the submandibular ganglion, with postganglionic fibers traveling with the lingual nerve to reach the gland.

Clinically, the submandibular region is notable for conditions such as sialolithiasis, which often affects the submandibular gland due to ductal anatomy and saliva viscosity. Infections, glandular tumors, and inflammatory processes can occur here, and treatment may involve medical management or surgical approaches such as submandibulectomy, with care to preserve nearby nerves and vessels (including the marginal mandibular branch of the facial nerve and the facial vessels).

The term submandibularis is used across human and veterinary anatomy to describe structures in this region; in English, the form submandibular is most common.