The tubarial salivary glands, also known as the tubarial glands, are a pair of

salivary gland The salivary glands in many vertebrates including mammals are exocrine glands that produce saliva through a system of ducts. Humans have three paired major salivary glands ( parotid, submandibular, and sublingual), as well as hundreds of min ...

s found in

humans Humans (''Homo sapiens'') or modern humans are the most common and widespread species of primate, and the last surviving species of the genus ''Homo''. They are Hominidae, great apes characterized by their Prehistory of nakedness and clothing ...

between the

nasal cavity The nasal cavity is a large, air-filled space above and behind the nose in the middle of the face. The nasal septum divides the cavity into two cavities, also known as fossae. Each cavity is the continuation of one of the two nostrils. The nas ...

and

throat In vertebrate anatomy, the throat is the front part of the neck, internally positioned in front of the vertebrae. It contains the Human pharynx, pharynx and larynx. An important section of it is the epiglottis, separating the esophagus from the t ...

Description

The tubarial glands (TGs) are located in the

nasopharynx The pharynx (: pharynges) is the part of the throat behind the mouth and nasal cavity, and above the esophagus and trachea (the tubes going down to the stomach and the lungs respectively). It is found in vertebrates and invertebrates, though its ...

. They are situated proximal to the

eustachian tube The Eustachian tube (), also called the auditory tube or pharyngotympanic tube, is a tube that links the nasopharynx to the middle ear, of which it is also a part. In adult humans, the Eustachian tube is approximately long and in diameter. It ...

, superior to the

soft palate The soft palate (also known as the velum, palatal velum, or muscular palate) is, in mammals, the soft biological tissue, tissue constituting the back of the roof of the mouth. The soft palate is part of the palate of the mouth; the other part is ...

and posterior to the inferior nasal conchae. The tubarial glands overlay the

torus tubarius The torus tubarius (or torus of the auditory tube) is an elevation of the mucous membrane of the Pharynx#Nasopharynx, nasal part of the pharynx formed by the underlying base of the Eustachian tube, cartilaginous portion of the Eustachian tube, Eu ...

region and are found on the dorsolateral or posterior lateral wall of the nasopharynx, extending from the skull base down on the inner side of the superior constrictor muscle. The tubarial glands are difficult to visualize on standard radiological images like

MRI Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is a medical imaging technique used in radiology to generate pictures of the anatomy and the physiological processes inside the body. MRI scanners use strong magnetic fields, magnetic field gradients, and rad ...

, appearing as shadowy regions of soft tissue. However, they can be visualized clearly using prostate-specific membrane antigen (PSMA) positron emission tomography—computed tomography ( PET/CT).

History

The glands were discovered by a group of Dutch scientists at the

Netherlands Cancer Institute The Netherlands Cancer Institute (NKI) in Amsterdam was founded in 1913 by, among others, the surgeon Jacob Rotgans. The NKI, together with the Antoni van Leeuwenhoekziekenhuis, is formed into the NKI-AVL, which combines a scientific research inst ...

in September 2020 using PET/CT scans.

Significance

Tubarial glands are packed with predominantly mucinous acini and can release mucinous fluid that coats and moistens the mucosal surface of the pharynx. Due to their location at the posterior-superior aspect of the nasopharynx, they serve as a "spout" of glandular tissue that can effectively provide protective coverage to a large area of the pharynx. This protection may involve modulating environmental pH and immune interactions. Based on their size, density, and location, they are considered the predominant glandular tissue in the pharyngeal region capable of providing enough secretion for mucosal protection. Dysfunction of the tubarial glands could be associated with dry mouth (

xerostomia Xerostomia, also known as dry mouth, is a subjective complaint of dryness in the mouth, which may be associated with a change in the composition of saliva, reduced salivary flow, or have no identifiable cause. This symptom is very common and is o ...

) and difficulty swallowing (

dysphagia Dysphagia is difficulty in swallowing. Although classified under " symptoms and signs" in ICD-10, in some contexts it is classified as a condition in its own right. It may be a sensation that suggests difficulty in the passage of solids or l ...

). The tubarial glands might also contribute as a source of SG

tumors A neoplasm () is a type of abnormal and excessive growth of tissue. The process that occurs to form or produce a neoplasm is called neoplasia. The growth of a neoplasm is uncoordinated with that of the normal surrounding tissue, and persists ...

—it is believed that avoiding the irradiation of the glands can lesson some side effects of

radiotherapy Radiation therapy or radiotherapy (RT, RTx, or XRT) is a treatment using ionizing radiation, generally provided as part of cancer therapy to either kill or control the growth of malignant cells. It is normally delivered by a linear particle ...

Controversy

The claim that this organ was only recently discovered has been disputed by anatomists.

References

Glands Human throat 2020 in science {{anatomy-stub