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CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 · Indian J Radiol Imaging 2021; 31(04): 1043-1046
DOI: 10.1055/s-0041-1740260
Case Report

Bilateral Submandibular Gland Aplasia: An Unusual Cause of Sublingual Swelling—The Role of Imaging in Patient Management

Srividya B Thimmappa
1   Department of Radiodiagnosis, Maulana Azad Medical College, New Delhi, India
,
Abhishek Suman
1   Department of Radiodiagnosis, Maulana Azad Medical College, New Delhi, India
,
Rashmi Dixit
1   Department of Radiodiagnosis, Maulana Azad Medical College, New Delhi, India
,
Anju Garg
1   Department of Radiodiagnosis, Maulana Azad Medical College, New Delhi, India
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Abstract

There are very limited reports of aplasia of bilateral submandibular glands. We report the case of a 55-year-old male who presented with nontender palpable sublingual masses. On computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging, bilateral submandibular gland aplasia and compensatory hypertrophy of bilateral parotid and sublingual glands were seen with herniation of hypertrophied sublingual glands through the bilateral mylohyoid muscles presenting as palpable sublingual region masses. Additional finding of bilateral accessory parotid glands was also noted. Prolapsed hypertrophied sublingual glands should be considered in patients presenting with bilateral sublingual masses to avoid unnecessary invasive procedures. We suggest radiological evaluation of such cases prior to any intervention.

Keywords

submandibular gland aplasia - sublingual swelling - mylohyoid

Source(s) of Support

Nil.




Publication History

Article published online:
13 December 2021

© 2021. Indian Radiological Association. This is an open access article published by Thieme under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonDerivative-NonCommercial License, permitting copying and reproduction so long as the original work is given appropriate credit. Contents may not be used for commercial purposes, or adapted, remixed, transformed or built upon. (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/)

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