Hereditary ectopic salivary gland: survey of three generations

An ectopic salivary gland is different from a branchial cleft fistula, which generally results from heteroplasia within the remnants of the second branchial cleft. Compared to a branchial cleft fistula, surgery for an ectopic salivary gland is relatively simple. This study describes five generations of a family with typical clinical features of ectopic salivary gland in the neck. This study is the first to report the rare familial occurrence of ectopic cervical salivary gland and discuss its imaging results, surgical management, and histopathology.