Lingual veins

The lingual veins are veins of the tongue with two distinct courses: one group drains into the lingual vein, while another group drains either into the lingual artery, facial vein, or internal jugular vein.

Clinical significance

The lingual veins are clinically significant due to their ability to rapidly absorb drugs. For this reason, nitroglycerin is administered sublingually to patients experiencing angina pectoris.