Unilateral Abnormalities of the Anterior Neck Musculature: A Case Report

Abstract

During cadaveric dissections for first-year medical students, an additional muscle was found on the anterior neck lateral to the sternohyoid muscle on the left side of the cadaver. After further dissection, it was discovered that this abnormality was isolated and was unilateral in nature. To our knowledge, the present study is the first to report such a unilateral variant although other infrahyoid muscle variants have been noted. This cadaver was a 65-year-old Caucasian male and had been donated to the university for education and research purposes. This variant contributes to the existing knowledge of anatomical abnormalities regarding the neck muscles. This is especially important as many of these neck muscles serve as landmarks for surgery and treatment.