Abstract
Salivary glands (SG) arise from ectodermal tissue between 6 and 12th weeks of intrauterine life through finely regulated epithelial-mesenchymal interactions. For this reason, different types of structural congenital anomalies, ranging from asymptomatic anatomical variants to alterations associated with syndromic conditions, have been described. Notable glandular parenchyma anomalies are the SG aplasia and the ectopic SG tissue. Major SG aplasia is a developmental anomaly, leading to variable degrees of xerostomia, and oral dryness. Ectopic SG tissue can occur as accessory gland tissue, salivary tissue associated with branchial cleft anomalies, or true heterotopic SG tissue. Among salivary ducts anomalies, congenital atresia is a rare developmental anomaly due to duct canalization failure in oral cavity, lead to salivary retention posterior to the imperforate orifice. Accessory ducts originate from the invagination of the developing duct in two places or from the premature ventral branching of the main duct. Heterotopic ducts may arise from glandular bud positioned in an anomalous site lateral to the stomodeum or from the failure of the intraoral groove development, hindering their proximal canalization. These anomalies require multidisciplinary approach to diagnosis and treatment. While ectopic or accessory SG tissue/ducts often do not require any treatment, patients with SG aplasia could benefit from strategies for restoring SG function. This article attempts to review the literature on SG parenchyma and ducts anomalies in head and neck region providing clinicians with a comprehensive range of clinical phenotypes and possible future applications of bioengineered therapies for next-generation of regenerative medicine.
Highlights
Salivary glands (SG) arise from ectodermal tissue during intrauterine life following a complex and well-timed sequence of epithelial-mesenchymal interactions (McDonald et al, 1986; Pham Dang et al, 2010)
Whereas parotid and minor SGs are certainly ectodermal in origin, submandibular, and sublingual glands arise from the mouth
Salivary glands aplasia can occur with other multiple facial developmental anomalies (Table 1)
Summary
Salivary glands (SG) arise from ectodermal tissue during intrauterine life following a complex and well-timed sequence of epithelial-mesenchymal interactions (McDonald et al, 1986; Pham Dang et al, 2010). Parotid glands are the first to develop from the 6th week of intrauterine life, followed by submandibular (7th week), sublingual (8th week), and the other minor SGs (9–12th weeks) (Zhang et al, 2010; Berta et al, 2013; Chadi et al, 2017). Whereas parotid and minor SGs are certainly ectodermal in origin, submandibular, and sublingual glands arise from the mouth. The SG development is a finely regulated process, involving well-timed sequences of cellular, and tissue events. For this reason, different types of structural congenital anomalies have been described so far, ranging from asymptomatic anatomical variants to alterations associated with syndromic conditions (Table 1). The aim of this article is to review the literature on SG parenchyma ad ducts anomalies in head and neck region (Table 2 and Supplementary Table 1), providing clinicians with a comprehensive range of clinical phenotypes, and possible future applications of bioengineered therapies for SG repair and regeneration
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Free) 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call
