1. RADIO-ANATOMY
PAROTID GLAND
AND
SUBMANDIBULAR GLAND

2. OVERVIEW OF ANATOMY
1)- DEVELOPMENTAL AND GROSS ANATOMY
2)- ULTRASOUND FEATURES
3)- X RAY
4)- CT AND MRI ANATOMICAL LOCATION

3. PAROTID GLAND
Development
• Appear early - sixth week of prenatal age.
• The epithelial buds of these glands are located on the inner
part of the cheek, near the labial commissures of the
primitive mouth
• Grow posteriorly toward the otic placodes of the ears and
branch to form solid cords with rounded terminal ends near
the developing facial nerve.
• 10 weeks of prenatal development, these cords are
canalized and form ducts, with the largest becoming the
parotid duct for the parotid gland.
• Secretion by the parotid glands via the parotid duct begins
at approximately 18 weeks of gestation.

4. Location
•
Inferior and anterior to the external acoustic meatus and
posterior to the mandibular ramus and anterior to the
mastoid process of temporal bone.
Draining
• The vestibule of oral cavity through Stensen duct or
parotid duct that emerges from the anterior border of the
gland, superficial to the masseter muscle pierces the
buccinator muscle, then opening up into the oral cavity on
the inner surface of the cheek, usually opposite the
maxillary second molar.
• The parotid papilla is a small elevation of tissue that marks
the opening of the parotid duct.

5. Surfaces and borders
• The gland has four surfaces superficial or
lateral,superior, anteromedial and
posteromedial.
• The gland has three borders anterior, medial and
posterior.
• The Parotid gland has two ends: superior end in
the form of small surface and an inferior end
(apex).

6. Structures that pass through the gland
These are from lateral to medial:
(1) Facial nerve
(2) Retromandibular vein
(3) External Carotid artery
(4) Superficial temporal artery
(5) branches of the great auricular nerve

7. Blood Supply
The gland is mainly irrigated by External Carotid
artery via the posterior auricular artery and the
transverse facial.
Venous Drainage
Venous return is to the Retromandibular vein.
Lymphatic drainage
The gland is mainly drained into the preauricular or
parotid lymph nodes which ultimately drain to the
deep cervical chain.

8. SUBMENDIBULAR GLAND
• Develop later than the parotid glands and appear late in the sixth
week of prenatal development.
• They develop bilaterally from epithelial buds in the sulcus
surrounding the sublingual folds on the floor of the primitive
mouth.
• Arise of solid cords branch from the buds and grow
posteriorly, lateral to the developing tongue. The cords of the
submandibular gland later branch and then become canalized to
form the ductal part.
• The submandibular gland acini develop from the cords’ rounded
terminal ends at 12 weeks, and secretory activity via the
submandibular duct begins at 16 weeks. Growth of the
submandibular gland continues after birth.

9. LOCTION
• Lying superior to the digastric muscles, divided into
superficial and deep lobes, which are separated by the
mylohyoid muscle.
• The superficial lobe comprises most of the gland, with the
mylohyoid muscle runs under it. The deep lobe is the
smaller part.

23. Sialography
Indications
•
•
•
•
•
•
Indications include:
In the evaluation of the functional integrity of the salivary glands
In case of obstructions
To evaluate the ductal pattern
In case of facial swellings, to rule out salivary gland pathology
In case of intra-glandular neoplasms.
Containdications
•
•
•
•
Persons who are allergic to iodine and/or contrast medium.
Cases where there is acute infection,
patients with thyroid function tests
When calculi are located in anterior part of the salivary gland duct

28. CT OF SLIVERY GLAND
It is a fatty glandular tissue that is encased in a dense
capsule. Because of this, the parotid gland on CT is
consistently more lucent (-25 to 10 Hounsfield units
[H]) than surrounding muscles (35-60 H) and likewise
is distinctly more radiodense than adjacent fat in the
subcutaneous tissues, infratemponal fossa, and
lateral pharyngeal space(-125 to -50 H)(figs.
1A, 1B, and 2B).