The paired sublingual glands are major salivary glands in the mouth. They are the smallest, most diffuse, and the only unencapsulated major salivary glands. They provide only 3-5% of the total salivary volume.
【Structure】
They lie anterior to the submandibular gland inferior to the tongue, as well as beneath the mucous membrane of the floor of the mouth. Each gland is effectively palpated on the floor of the mouth posterior to each mandibular canine. Placing one index finger intraorally and the fingertips of the opposite hand extraorally, the compressed gland is manually palpated between the inner and outer fingers.
They are drained by 8-20 excretory ducts called the ducts of Rivinus.The largest of all, the sublingual duct (of Bartholin) joins the submandibular duct to drain through the sublingual caruncle. The sublingual caruncle is a small papilla near the midline of the floor of the mouth on each side of the lingual frenum.Most of the remaining small sublingual ducts open separately into the mouth on an elevated crest of mucous membrane, the plica sublingualis, formed by the gland and located on either side of the frenulum linguae.
【語句】
・diffuse：拡散した？ ・unencapsulated：包まれていない ・submandibular gland：顎下腺 ・mucous membrane：粘膜 ・floor of the mouch：口腔底 ・effectively：事実上 ・palpate：触診する ・mandibular canine：下顎犬歯 ・intraorally：口腔内へ ・excretory duct：排出管 ・the ducts of Rivinus：リヴィヌス管 ・sublingual caruncle：舌下小丘 ・palilla：乳頭突起 ・lingual frenum：舌小帯 ・plica sublingualis：舌下ヒダ ・frenulum linguae：舌小帯
