Anatomical variability of omohyoid and its relevance in oropharyngeal cancer

Aims: To define the reproducibility of the position of omohyoid muscle. Setting: A regional Maxillofacial surgical oncological service. Material and patients: Thirty dissections of cadavers and consecutive series of 88 patients who had had neck dissections, either prophylactic or therapeutic, as part of their oncological management. Method: Measurement of the upper border of omohyoid muscle relative to the clavicle and the internal jugular vein (mm). Results: The position of omohyoid muscle in relation to the clavicle and internal jugular vein varied considerably and by inference the nodal yield at level IV is also likely to vary. Conclusion: The wide variability of the position of omohyoid muscle is likely to have implications for the surgical management of oral and oropharyngeal cancer.