Parotid Glands

General features:
largest of the salivary glands;
weight of about 25 g
lobulated, yellowish mass,
lying largely below the
-external acoustic meatus
between the mandible and
sternocleidomastoid.
projects forwards on the masseter, where a
small, usually detached part lies between the
zygomatic arch above and the parotid duct below
(pars accessoria or socia parotidis) .
almost entirely of serous glandular tissue .

Capsule
derived from the deep cervical fascia;
sends fibrous septa into the gland,
attached to the zygomatic arch.
Medially firmly attached to the
styloid process,
mandible and
tympanic plate

 The stylomandibular ligament, prsent between the

gland and the submandibular glands.
o Shape : inverted, flat, three-sided pyramid,
presenting a small superior surface, and
superficial, anteromedial and posteromedial
surfaces; it tapers inferiorly to a blunt apex.

 Surfaces
Superior surface :concave related to the
cartilaginous part of the
external acoustic meatus
and posterior aspect of the
temporomandibular joint;
here the auriculotemporal nerve curves round
the neck of the mandible, embedded in the
gland's capsule.
The apex overlaps the posterior belly of the
digastric and the carotid triangle to a variable
extent.

Relations of the parotid g

@ Superficial
Ln.
Great auricular n
Skin
@Superior
External auditory
meatus and
Posterior surface of
TM joint

 @Posteromedial
Mastoid process and
its muscle
St.cl.mastoide m
Styloid process and its
muscl
Posterior belly of
digastric
Carotid sheath
xn,., ix, xii nerves

 @Anteromedialy
Ramus of
mandible
TM J
Medial ptregoid
muscle
Medial edge
related medially
to pharyngeal wall

 The superficial surface

o -covered by
o -skin and superficial fascia,
o -facial branches of the great auricular nerve,
o -superficial parotid lymph nodes and the
o -posterior border of platysma.

The superficial surface extends :-extend upwards to the zygomatic arch,

-back to overlap the sternocleidomastoid,
-down to its apex postero-inferior to the
mandibular angle and
-forwards superficial to the masseter below the
parotid duct

 Anteromedial surface

is grooved by the posterior border of

the mandibular ramus.
It covers the
masseter,
temporomandibular joint
medial pterygoid.
Branches of the facial nerve emerge from
anterior margin of this surface.

 The posteromedial
surface
is moulded on:
mastoid process,
sternocleidomastoid,
posterior belly of the
digastric
styloid process and
its muscles.

The external carotid artery grooves this surface before entering

the gland. The internal carotid artery and internal jugular vein
are separated from the gland by the styloid process and its
muscles .

 The external carotid artery enters the

posteromedial surface, dividing into the
maxillary artery, which emerges from the
anteromedial surface, and the superficial
temporal artery which gives off its transverse
facial branch in the gland and ascends to leave
its upper limit
posterior
auricular artery

parotid gland and duct cross the masseter muscle one fingerbreadth inferior to the
zygomatic arch and turn medially to pierce the buccinator
Mumps: parotiditis ,
swelling of the gland is
limited, which can
result in pain.

The buccinator is pierced by :- 1-the parotid duct, 2-the ducts

of the buccal (molar) glands, 3- sensory branches of the buccal
nerve;

The facial nerve (CN VII) descends from the stylomastoid

foramen approximately 1 cm before curving anteriorly to
penetrate the parotid gland

The
nerve to
the
posterior
belly of
the
digastric
muscle
arises
from the
facial
nerve;

The preauricular
lymph nodes are
located anterior to the
ear.

The facial nerve (CN VII) its branches pass through the parotid gland

 The retromandibular vein

union of the maxillary
and superficial temporal veins
is superficial to the
external carotid artery
and emerges behind
the gland's apex to join
the posterior auricular
vein, forming the external jugular;
it has a communicating branch which leaves
anterior to the apex to join the facial vein

 Parotid Duct
5 cm long, Its calibre is about 3 mm this begins by the confluence
of two main tributaries within the anterior part of the gland
crosses the massete
traversing the corpus adiposum and the buccinator.
It then runs obliquely forwards for a short distance between the
buccinator and the oral mucosa to open upon a small papilla
opposite the second upper molar crown.

 While crossing the masseter it receives the

accessory parotid duct and here lies between
the upper and lower buccal branches of the facial
nerve;
the accessory part of the gland and the
transverse facial artery are above it. The buccal
branch of the mandibular nerve, emerging from
beneath the temporalis
and masseter, is just
below the duct at the
masseter's anterior border.

 Surface Anatomy of parotid duct

P.d. can be felt on the face or more easily in the
vestibule of the mouth, and rolled on the anterior
border of the masseter.
borders:
anterior : from the
mandibular condyl to
a point just above the
middle of the masseter
and then to a point about
2 cm below and behind
the mandibular angle.

concave upper border: from the mandibular condyle

across the ear's lobule to the mastoid process.
posterior border is: between the posterior ends of
the anterior and upper borders.
The parotid duct :
corresponds to the
middle third of a line
drawn from the lower
border of the tragus to
a point midway between
the nasal ala and upper labial margin.

 Vessels and Nerves

Artery :external carotid and its branches within and
near the gland.
Veins :external jugular, through local tributaries.
The lymph vessels: superficial and deep cervical
lymph nodes, interrupted by two or three nodes
lying on and within the gland.
Innervation : sympathetic fibres from the external
carotid plexus and parasympathetic fibres which
reach it via the tympanic branch of the
glossopharyngeal nerve relaying in the otic
ganglion and then travelling along the
auriculotemporal nerve. Clinical observations
suggest that in humans the gland also receives
secretomotor fibres through the chorda tympani