The salivary glands produce saliva, which keeps the mouth and other parts of the digestive system moist. It also helps break down food and lubricates the passage of food down from the oro-pharynx to the esophagus to the stomach.
Two types of epithelial cells in salivary glands produce either mucous, or serous secretions. The sublingual gland produces serous secretions, whereas the parotid gland produces mucous secretions. The submandibular gland contains a mixture of both types of cells, and produces a mixture of the two liquids.
Location of the glands
The parotid gland is located near the ear (par- = next to, -otid = ear), and is the largest of the salivary glands.
The sublingual gland lies underneath the tongue.
The submandibular gland is a U-shaped structure, and lies beneath the ramus of the mandible (the angle of the chin).
In the submandibulargland 50% of the growths are benign, with 50% being malignant.
Certain malignancies arising in the salivaryglands, such as adenoid cystic carcinoma, highgrade mucoepidermoid carcinoma, and squamous cell carcinoma have a propensity to follow along adjacent nerves or metastasize to regional lymph nodes.
Should a submandibulargland be removed for benign or malignant disease, the risks to surrounding structures are essentially the same, although risks to the adjacent lingual and hypoglossal nerves certainly are higher in the case of malignancy.
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