Abstract
Springer-Verlag 2011 In an interesting cadaveric study to document the anatomical landmarks of the submandibular gland (SMG) for botulinum toxin (BTX) injections which can be used for drooling. Lee et al. [1] mentioned that there were no major structures located within the parenchyma of the SMGs, while the facial artery (FA) or its branches were their main blood supply. In most cases, the arteries ran and branched just under the mandible. Based on these anatomical data, the safety zone for the injection was 1.5 cm below the inferior line of the mandible on the lateral view. They concluded that this safety zone could be the site of BTX injections into the SMG, particularly for injections without ultrasound guidance. It is an axiom in surgery to expect the unexpected for avoidance of complications. The same rule should be applied in the treatment of drooling by intrasalivary gland injection with BTX. The safety zone identified by Lee et al. [4] could be risky in patients with vascular variants. The FA may be absent [2]. We recently detected abnormal branching pattern of the left external carotid artery (ECA) in an old man during the dissection of 25 cadavers [3]. There was FA agenesis compensated by concurrent ipsilateral large transverse facial and submental arteries arising from the ECA. In our case, the SMG received dual arterial
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Disclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.