Researchers from the Netherlands Cancer Institute have discovered a new pair of salivary glands between the nasal cavity and throat. They noticed the new gland while studying patients with prostate cancer using a new type of scan.
The scans of 100 patients and dissection studies on two cadavers were able to confirm the presence of this new gland. The team proposed the name “tubarial glands” as it was found draped over the torus tubarius, the structure that supports the entrance of the auditory tube. The glands were about 3.9 centimeters in length on average.
The paper published by the team in Radiotherapy and oncology noted that this identification “could help to explain and avoid radiation-induced side-effects” such as trouble during eating, swallowing, and speaking. The team analysed the data of 723 patients who had undergone radiation treatment and noted that there were more complications in patients who had more radiation delivered to these glands.
