Current data on the development of tongue in prenatal period of human ontogenesis

Abstract

The timely diagnosis and treatment of maxillofacial pathologies where the tongue plays an important role requires an accurate description of the organs structure and development. The paper presents a review of the current research data on the features of embryonic development, macro- and microanatomy, morphometry and ultrasound anatomy of the human tongue during the prenatal development. The selected papers, published in the Russian and English languages, cover the period of the last decade. We generalized the obtained data using the empirical and theoretical approaches. The macroscopic study of the external structure of the tongue was underrepresented in the current studies, usually performed in combination with morphometry. The studies of histotopograms in combination with histochemical methods were numerous, contributing to the more detailed classification of the tongue development stages. The selected papers focused on the period of human embryonic development and the correlating histological characteristics of the tongue. The morphometric characteristics and the blood supply of the tongue in the prenatal period require further research.