The submandibular gland in neck dissection: A necessary casualty or a hapless victim?

The salivary glands, of which there are three pairs known as the parotid, submandibular, and sublingual glands, play a crucial role in maintaining oral health and initiating the digestive process. Positioned near the ears, beneath the masseter muscle, the parotid glands secrete saliva into the oral cavity through the parotid duct of Stensen. Meanwhile, the submandibular glands, located on the floor of the mouth, secrete saliva through channels named submandibular ducts. The sublingual glands,...

Exocrine glands produce and release a variety of glandular products. Exocrine glands can be classified into serous, mucous, or mixed types based on their secretory products.
Serous glands produce watery secretions rich in digestive enzymes and proteins. The constituent cells of the serous gland have centrally located nuclei and eosinophilic secretory granules in the cytoplasm. The parotid gland is an example of a serous gland. It secretes saliva, which contains enzymes, such as lipases and...

The anterior neck muscles are the group of muscles covering the front part of the neck. These muscles are classified into three subgroups. The first one is the superficial muscles, the most visible muscles in the front of the neck. It includes the platysma and sternocleidomastoid. The second group is the suprahyoid muscles, located above the hyoid bone. This group comprises the digastric, mylohyoid, geniohyoid, and stylohyoid. Lastly, the infrahyoid muscles are found below the hyoid bone and...