Diseases of the Salivary Glands

Abstract

Salivary glands are tubulo-acinar exocrine organs responsible for the production and secretion of saliva. They comprise the three-paired major glands, the parotid, submandibular, and sublingual. There are also several hundred minor glands, which are widely distributed throughout the oral and oropharyngeal submucosa and, in some cases, the underlying muscle. Similar seromucous glands are present in the upper respiratory and sinonasal tracts.