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[Salivary gland drainage into the thyroglossal duct]
G Siem1, K Natvig, A Kolbenstvedt
1Øre-nese-halsavdelingen, Rikshospitalet 0027 Oslo. geir.siem@rikshospitalet.no
Background:
Failure in regression of the thyroglossal duct is one of the most common reasons for midline swellings in the neck. Several authors have described recurrent thyroglossal duct remnants with persisting draining sinuses. However, few have described accessory salivary glands that drain into the thyroglossal duct.
Material And Methods:
In this article we report two such cases with midline salivary glands in the floor of the mouth.
Results:
These two patients were subsequently successfully treated with radical tissue resection in the area between the hyoid bone and foramen cecum.
Interpretation:
Preoperative fistulography or sinography was useful to demonstrate the ductal ramification of the salivary glands, and use of methylene blue during surgery proved of significant value for the result.
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