Salivary gland

Salivary glands ( glands Latin salivariae ) are exocrine glands that make saliva (Saliva ) and thus ensure the lubricity to Abschlucken the bite. In some mammals (human, porcine ) already contains the saliva starch-digesting enzymes ( amylases ), which contribute salivary glands already on a small scale for digestion.

In insects, the salivary gland is formed by the Labialdrüse which opens into a salivarium before the mouth opening.

Salivary glands of mammals

Classification

In mammals, there are three major salivary glands:

  • The parotid gland ( parotid gland or parotid gland ), which is purely serous, so secretes a thin secretion,
  • The submandibular gland ( submandibular gland, in animals as mandibular gland called ), the mixed sero - mucous in humans with a predominance of serous end pieces, is mainly mucous in most animals
  • And the sublingual gland ( sublingual gland ), which is mixed in human muco - serous with a predominance of mucous tails, with animals more serous.

In addition, there are numerous other small salivary glands in the wall of the oral cavity, which are designated according to their location:

  • Lip glands ( glands labiales )
  • Cheek glands ( glands buccal )
  • Tongue glands ( glands lingual )
  • Mahlzahndrüsen ( glands molar )
  • Palate glands ( glands palatinae )
  • Taste glands ( glands gustatoriae ) Spüldrüsen the taste buds (synonym Ebner 's glands )

Diseases of the salivary glands

With the larger salivary glands can pathological changes - for example, a sialadenitis caused by salivary stones - be clarified by means of ultrasound or a transition representation of the gland with an X-ray contrast agent.

Inflammation

An inflammation of the salivary glands is called sialadenitis. The affected salivary gland swells it painfully. If cracks of the excretory ducts of salivary gland saliva flows into the surrounding tissue and it may develop salivary cysts. We distinguish:

  • Chronic active sialadenitis: There is a bacterially induced sialadenitis caused by Staphylococcus aureus and Streptococcus viridans. A settlement is facilitated for example by a salivary stone. It divides the chronic sialadenitis active again in an acute inflammation, chronic non-specific inflammation and chronic sclerosing inflammation ( Kuttner tumor).
  • Autoimmunsialadenitis, see Sjogren's syndrome

Salivary stone

In the excretory ducts it can to the formation of salivary stones ( sialoliths ) come ( See also: parotid gland disease).

Tumors

We distinguish benign ( adenomas) and malignant tumors ( adenocarcinomas ) of the salivary glands:

  • Pleomorphic adenoma: the most common benign salivary gland tumor
  • Warthin 's tumor: the second most common benign salivary gland tumor
  • Furthermore, one distinguishes a variety of malignant tumors ( salivary gland carcinomas), for example, acinar cell, mucoepidermoid carcinoma, adenoid cystic carcinoma or adenocarcinoma NOS ( not otherwise specified ).
Sialolithiasis
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